Vol. 543 No. 2
743 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received a report from Scoil Iognáid Rís, Callan, County Kilkenny, regarding the need for remedial work to be carried out in order that the school can operate efficiently and safely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25960/01]
The Department has received an application for grant aid towards the cost of a building project at Scoil Iognáid Rís. The Deputy will appreciate that there has been a massive and unprecedented increase in the funds allocated by this Government to the building programme at all levels. The allocation this year is £370.5 million or 470.4 million. This is almost four times the allocation made by the previous Government in 1997. This level of funding has enabled my Department to undertake a record number of building projects and it is my intention to continue this rate of progress in overcoming the deficit arising from many past years and in meeting the needs of the present day. Decisions relating to the rate of progress to construction of individual projects, including Scoil Iognáid Rís, will be taken as in previous years in the light of the allocations to be made for school building purposes in the forthcoming Estimates.
