Vol. 537 No. 5
617 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which the school building programme at primary level is meeting requirements, with particular reference to new schools, extensions and refurbishment of existing buildings and or other upgrading; the extent to which the programme is on schedule in the context of the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17319/01]
Significant progress has been made by this Government in improving primary school accommodation.
This Government has invested massively in capital projects in the primary sector. For 1996, £30 million was spent on the primary sector for capital projects. In 2000, this was increased to £81 million. In the current year the allocation has been further increased to £93 million. This is over three times the expenditure in 1996 and exceeds the schedule for the national development plan. Under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006 an unprecedented £413 million has been set-aside for school infrastructure in the primary sector.
The massive increase in capital funding has allowed my Department to continue to expand its work programme and to make significant progress in eliminating substandard accommodation through the provision of new and improved facilities in the primary sector.
618 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which the school building programme is up to date in terms of meeting requirements for the construction of new second level schools and the upgrading, refurbishment and or improvement of facilities at existing schools; the extent to which the programme is on schedule in the context of the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17320/01]
Applications to my Department for new second level schools and for the upgrading or refurbishment at second level schools are received on an ongoing basis. These applications are processed as quickly as possible having regard to the resources available to my Department and the time frame inherent in the works applied for. For instance, my Department is generally in a position to deal with an application for emergency works necessary for the effective functioning of a school very quickly but the delivery of an entire new school building will take a number of years from the date of application.
This year the post-primary building unit has a budget of £129 million to spend on second level capital projects. This is four times the expenditure (£32.7 million) in 1996 and exceeds the schedule for the national development plan.
