Written Answers. - School Building Programme.
Alan Shatter
Question:
512
Mr. Shatter
asked the
Minister for Education
if she will list the post-primary schools which her predecessor promised in October-November 1992 would commence construction in 1993; the dates such promises were made; and the schools contained in the aforementioned list that are not included in the Government Estimates to commence construction in 1993.
Alan Shatter
Question:
513
Mr. Shatter
asked the
Minister for Education
whether any estimates for 1993 providing for the commencement of the construction of additional post-primary schools in 1993 were agreed by Government in the period 1 October to 31 November 1992; if not, whether draft estimates were prepared by her for this period; if so, the status of these drafts; the revisions, if any, made to these draft estimates; and the reason for the revisions, if any, which were made.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 512 and 513 together.
The preparation and approval of departmental Estimates, including the provision for my Department's school capital programme, is a process which is initiated in mid-year and which continues until the publication of the Estimates for Public Services and the budget. During the course of this process, spending plans are subjected to examination at various levels, up to and including Government, and to amendment and adjustment for a wide variety of reasons, including objective merits of proposals, perceived relative priorities, evolving needs, the overall financial position and budget strategies. Spending plans prepared in anticipation of the allocation eventually approved and confirmed must of necessity be, and be understood to be, provisional and subject to review and adjustment when the final allocation has been approved.
I have already detailed in reply to Question No. 164 of 10 March 1993 the major projects scheduled to commence in 1993 within the 1993 allocation. These projects were selected following a review which was carried out once the allocation for 1993 had been made. This review took account of the allocation available, the projects demanding inclusion in the programme within that allocation and the respective priority accorded to these projects. The projects approved were those which had been proposed for inclusion for some time, subject to some adjustments due to changing circumstances.
It would be inappropriate for me to detail the way in which the approved allocation evolved from my Department's original spending estimates. Neither do I consider it useful to detail projects being considered before the 1993 allocation was confirmed and final decisions reached.
I have already expressed my conviction of the need for a more orderly approach to the process by which major building projects are selected for release to construction each year. It is my intention that future decisions on the progress of major projects through the architectural planning process up to the signing of a contract be based on objective criteria related to relevant educational, building and financial factors. I also consider it desirable that school authorities be made aware, in an open and transparent manner, of the position of their particular building projects at the various stages. To this end, it is proposed to disclose the criteria on which projects are selected, prioritised and advanced through the planning process and to indicate on a regular basis where individual projects stand in relation to these criteria.
