Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 6

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

John McGuinness

Ceist:

438 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give a once-off grant to a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny to relieve its debt in view of the new funding arrangements for school construction and the fact the school was one of the last to be constructed under the old funding arrangement and the management has paid a considerable amount of money already. [10818/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

As the Deputy has stated, the school in question was constructed under the capital funding arrangements that applied prior to 1 January 1999. I regret that it is not possible to apply the new arrangements retrospectively. Any exception made for one school would have to be applied in all such cases, thereby giving rise to an unacceptable financial demand on the Department.