Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 February 2018
18. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools being built through the private finance initiative and European Investment Bank packages; the names, location and value by bundle if applicable; the principal contractors in respect of same; the estimated date for completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4892/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver 19,500 permanent school places have already been delivered through PPP schools bundles that are currently operational.
The Schools Bundle 5 PPP programme was part of the Government's 2012 stimulus package and is the only education related PPP programme currently under construction. This programme will provide 6 schools on 4 sites in Wicklow, Wexford, Meath and Carlow. The schools are Loreto College, Wexford; Coláiste Raithín and St. Philomena's Primary School, Bray; Eureka Secondary School Kells; Tyndall College and Carlow Institute of Further Education, Carlow.
The European Investment Bank is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. In 2016, the European Investment Bank provided a 25-year loan to the National Treasury Management Agency acting on behalf of the Irish State to support the construction, enlargement and modernisation of 71 schools over a four year period. The €200 million loan represents the largest ever support for school investment in Ireland approved by the European Investment Bank. The Bank had previously provided loans for investment in school projects in 2012 and 2013.
The funding from the European Investment Bank is one of the sources utilised by the National Treasury Management Agency to underpin the capital allocations identified in the annual estimates provision. Each of these 71 school projects in question will be delivered individually and are not subject to a bundle delivery process. However, it should also be noted that the EIB has previously invested in the Schools Bundle 2 and Schools Bundle 3 PPP programmes.
The EIB will also support the delivery by way of PPP of the Central and East Quads in Grangegorman for Dublin Institute of Technology.
The detailed information requested by the Deputy in relation to the PPP school bundles and the 71 traditional school projects funded by EIB investment is being provided with the hard copy of this answer in tabular form in the following link:
