IPPN

Published: 29 June 2010

Schools hoping for new buildings face an anxious wait after Education Minister Caitriona Ruane said she needs more money from the Executive to fund new work.

The Sinn Fein minister told the Assembly that 39 new schools have been built since May 2007 and 13 more will be completed in the near future.

But while a review, which included 67 projects for new schools or major improvements, showed most meet the criteria, Ms Ruane said she did not have the money to proceed.

The minister said she will write to all the schools involved, but said her hopes of building a further 10 schools depended on securing additional funding from Finance Minister Sammy Wilson when Assembly finances are reviewed in the so-called June monitoring round.