Irish Schools Building Budget At Risk?

Planned schools investment - previously mooted to be worth over €900m - could be slashed in this month's budget, it has been reported.

It is believed around 70% of the funding has yet to be committed, only €278m worth of contracts have so far been placed.

The Department of Finance is hoping to save around €2bn of capital spending in the budget, meaning monies set aside for new school buildings could be put in jeopardy.


It has been reported that most other government departments have managed to secure upwards of 80% of their budgets.

Other major state projects which remain uncommitted are the National Concert Hall, the National Children's Hospital, the Thornton Hall super-prison and three decentralised offices in Portlaoise, Mullingar and Carlow.

Around €656m of the total education capital budget is dedicated to primary and secondary school building projects, with the remaining €248m mainly going to the third-level sector.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe said the school building programme would create 3,300 jobs this year.

This was based on the assumption that one job would be delivered per €255,000 of investment.

But if two thirds of the capital budget is ditched, 2,300 of these jobs will be generated.

(PR/JM)