Fee-paying schools lose building grants [Independent.ie]
- Published: 12 May 2011
EDUCATION Minister Ruairi Quinn has excluded fee-paying schools from the latest round of building grants.
The minister took a decision not to share any of the €30m fund among schools where fees range between €2,550 and €12,750 a year for day pupils.
It is a departure from tradition and sends a signal to the 57 schools involved that they can no longer take for granted state support for building works.
Under the Government's Jobs Initiative, 374 schools will receive an average of €82,000 each to spend on minor works, such as toilets and roofs, over the summer.
A spokesperson for the minister said: "It was necessary to prioritise funding and, at the minister's request, the focus was on funding schools that don't charge fees."
The spokesperson added that the decision was taken in relation to the Jobs Initiative and did not represent a change in policy.
It is expected that the €30m programme will create 2,400 direct jobs and 480 indirect jobs in the construction sector.
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