asked the Minister for Education what is the present position regarding the building of a new school at Stabannon, County Louth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - New Schools.
Tenders for the erection of the proposed new national school at Stabannon, County Louth, were received by the Commissioners of Public Works, but it will be necessary for the commissioners to reinvite tenders. It has, however, been found necessary to defer the reinvitation of tenders because of the fact that the commissioners' existing contractual commitments in respect of expenditure of grants on school building and improvement in the current financial year will fully exhaust the amount provided in the Estimates, under Vote 9.
Will the Minister tell me what happened to all the money that Fine Gael were to spend on everything, and how is it that they cannot afford a couple of thousand pounds to build a new school?
The Deputy heard me saying last week that during the current year £222,000 more will be spent on the building of national schools this year than was spent last year, reaching thereby an all-high record for the expenditure of money on the building of schools.
Did the Minister inform the House that the reason these schools were built was that his predecessor had got the school-building programme under way and the Minister could not stop it immediately?
If the Deputy will put down any question he likes of a reasonable and orderly kind, he will get all the information and all the answers.
Is it not a fact that 92 schools have been deferred at a cost of £900,000?
To what is the Deputy referring? Is he referring to Question No. 5 or No. 6? If the Deputy also would put down any question, he will get an answer.
The Minister can find £1,000,000 more for civil servants, but he cannot find a couple of thousands for schools.
Question No. 7.
asked the Minister for Education when it is proposed to proceed with the erection of the convent national school and the boys' national school at Banagher, County Offaly.
Grants have been sanctioned by my Department towards the cost of the erection of new schools to replace the present convent national school and boys' national school at Banagher, County Offaly.
Tenders for the erection of both buildings have been received by the Commissioners of Public Works but the placing of a contract for the erection of each school has had to be deferred for the present, because of the fact that the commissioners' existing contractual commitments in respect of expenditure of grants on school buildings and improvements in the current financial year will fully exhaust the amount provided in the Estimates under Vote 9.