No decision has been made to reduce the level of funding for the school building programme in 2002, nor have I made any public announcement to that effect. 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 in the current year is £370.5 million – 470.4 million – which is almost four times the allocation made by the previous Government in 1997. This level of funding 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 will be taken, as in previous years, in the light of the allocations to be made for school building purposes in the forthcoming Estimates.
Question No. 870 answered with Question No. 786.