Published Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Michael McGimpsey has been left with a £32m bill for tackling the pandemic. The first vaccines are being given to frontline health and social care staff and those in 'at risk' groups.
The training centre will be built on a 210-acre site beside a food science centre at Desertcreat on the outskirts of Cookstown. The police service is expected to share the accommodation.
Mr McGimpsey said running costs could be prohibitive.
"This is a very active consideration, I am not saying this is a definite decision at the minute but it is looking very difficult for me to fund," he said.
"I am very supportive of the training college and funding also a modern training facility for the fire service but I also am saying I am finding it very difficult to make the sums add up."
He estimates he will need £64m to deal with swine flu and the Executive will pay half that.
Mr McGimpsey added the site at Desertcreat was looking more expensive to manage than previously envisaged.
"Running costs are much higher because of its close proximity to a police training college and all the security that goes with that, and the fire service has to pay its share of that," he said.
He added they could consider building separately somewhere else without the security bill.