Vol. 521 No. 4
323 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the capital programmes contained in the national development plan and funded by his Department that have commenced in the constituency of Longford-Roscommon in 2000; the details of any such programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17557/00]
The National Development Plan 2000-2006 includes provision of £1.6 billion for capital expenditure in the education sector. This will cover investment in primary and post-primary schools, further education centres and third level institutions, representing the largest ever multi-annual commitment to investment in the improvement of our education infrastructure. In addition there is an overall provision of £550 million for a research, technological development and innovation fund in the education sector, which includes funding to promote the development of a world-class research infrastructure and the provision of equipment in third level institutions, thereby providing the foundation upon which research excellence can be developed.
The information requested by the Deputy, with regard to capital projects, is not available. The allocation of funding to capital projects by my Department depends on factors such as the rate of progress of architectural design, site acquisition, the granting of planning permission and the outcome of the tender process. Delays can arise at any stage of the process. Consequently it is not possible to say when projects being processed at present will proceed to construction. If the Deputy requires information on any individual building project, I will be happy to provide the details.
