asked the Minister for Education if he will state the number and estimated cost of primary schools and vocational schools, respectively, sanction in respect of the construction of which has been postponed or cancelled since the commencement of the current financial year; and if he will classify the information in the following categories: (a) plans approved, (b) tenders accepted, and (c) work in hands to be completed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Primary and Vocational Schools.
The number of new primary schools arrangements for the erection of which have been deferred in the current financial year is 95. The estimated cost of these schools is £882,755.
The deferred cases are classified in categories as follows:—
|
Number of Schools |
Estimated cost |
|
|
Working drawings prepared |
63 |
£411,880 |
|
Tenders received |
32 |
£470,875 |
The erection of a primary school has not been deferred in any case in which a tender has been accepted or building work has actually been commenced. In no case has the sanction given for the construction of a new primary school been cancelled.
The number of vocational schools arrangements for the erection of which have been deferred is two.
In the case of one of these, estimated to cost £40,000, plans had been approved and in the case of the other, estimated to cost £18,000, a tender has been accepted by the committee, subject to the sanction of the Minister.
In no case has the proposed erection of a vocational school been cancelled and in no case has a work in hands been stopped.
Could the Minister say for how long the building of these two schools has been deferred?
I cannot say at the moment.
I should like to ask the Minister whether he has been told of the particular priority education occupies in the arrangement of capital expenditure.
That appears to be a separate question.
I would draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that, as far as national schools are concerned, the amount of money being spent in the current year is an all-time high record, being about £222,000 more than was spent last year.
Thanks to the good work of your predecessors. You could not stop it altogether; you could not defer it all.
The records are there for examination. I think I dealt with some of them when dealing with the Estimates last year. We are dealing with facts now, and the fact is that during the current year £222,000 more will be spent on national schools than was spent last year. That is an all-time high record. As far as vocational schools are concerned, depending on what can be done by the Department with funds from the Local Loans Fund and from other funds, the total to be spent this year is twice what was spent last year, again an all-time high record.
Ní leor é, nó leath leor. Tá stop curtha le 3 scoileanna i gContae Luimnigh.
Is the Minister aware of the fact that vocational committees have been told it would be unwise for them to proceed with plans for the building of vocational schools? I suppose those are not mentioned here.
I cannot imagine at what particular point somebody in the Department would write to a committee and say it would be unwise for them to proceed with plans. It does not fit in with the operation of things.