Vol. 430 No. 3
14 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education whether a capital expenditure programme for the commencement of the construction of new post primary schools in 1993 was agreed by Government or by her Department in October or November 1992; and, if not, the dates in 1992 and 1993 when such capital expenditure programmes were agreed as part of Government estimates.
I can only repeat my written reply to a question from the Deputy on this issue on 23 March last.
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 at the end of February. 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.
