Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
469 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the position with regard to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; the funding which has been granted to this school; and if additional funding will be approved for this school. [22018/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated a grant of €100,000 on a devolved basis to provide ancillary accommodation. My Department does not intend increasing the amount of the grant offered to the school. This provision is necessary because a central tenet of the devolved scheme is that a school authority, granted discretion and guaranteed funding to enable immediate progress on its accommodation needs, must equally accept responsibility for prioritisation, control of costs and ensuring value for money.
If there is a shortfall in funding, the options open to the board of management are to reduce the scale of the works to stay within the limit of the grant; use funds allocated by the Department under the terms of the grant scheme for minor works to supplement the grant provided such funds are not required for more urgent and immediate works; and fund the balance of the works from their own resources.
