James O'Connor
Ceist:165. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the supports Budget 2022 has provided for capital planning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57300/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 23 November 2021
Ceisteanna (165)
Freagraí scríofa
Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland.
Budget 2022 progresses the ongoing major investment in our primary and post-primary education system. The significant investment reflects the Government’s commitment to support the educational success of each learner and provide a quality inclusive school system with improved learning outcomes for all.
Capital planning and budgeting is undertaken on a multi-annual basis. The allocation of €792m for 2022 will facilitate a continued strong rollout of school building projects and other measures as outlined below.
This allocation will support the Department’s school building programme which involves in excess of 250 school building projects currently at construction - most of which are scheduled for completion in 2022. All of these projects at construction will, when completed, deliver over 30,000 school places (additional and replacement places) including provision for students with special education needs
An additional €50m allocation of capital funding in 2021, as part of Budget 2022 negotiations, will facilitate the advance payment of ICT grants to schools in late 2021 (these ICT grants would normally be paid in early 2022). This provides additional flexibility in the Department’s budget for 2022 to enable (a) once-off funding of €20m to be provided to schools for the purchasing of books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy resource banks and (b) the balance of €30m for an enhanced rollout of projects under the 2022 Summer Works Scheme. This additional funding of €30m (on top of the standard €35m programme) will facilitate an overall €65m programme of works for the 2022 Summer Works Scheme. The details on these projects will be announced in early December 2021 to provide schools with a good lead in period for delivering the projects in Summer 2022.