The capital expenditure measures in the Jobs Initiative announced by the Minister for Finance last year applied to 2011 only. The aim of these measures was to accelerate capital works that are shovel ready, have a local focus and are labour intensive. Schools and secondary roads works were identified as being the most appropriate for such purposes, while also representing areas where investment has broader benefits to society and the economy.
The Jobs Initiative provided an additional €30 million for labour intensive school works and associated works in 2011 over the existing allocation. Some €20 million of this was reallocated by the Minister for Education and Skills from within his own Department's allocation and the remaining €10 million was provided to the Department from the proceeds of the new pension levy announced in the Initiative. This was allocated to "ready-to-go" projects to be delivered by schools.
The Jobs Initiative also provided for an additional €60 million to be reallocated from within the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport's overall allocation to invest in our regional and local roads to carry out much-needed surface restoration and road reconstruction works. This important, remedial work allowed local authorities to bring forward important projects to 2011 that would not otherwise have progressed until 2012.