Education gets €75m boost but further cuts needed [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 05 February 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
A €75 million boost to the school building programme could help construction jobs but Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe will have to find almost equal cuts to other aspects of his capital budget.
The extra funding is in addition to €581m already announced for primary and second-level school projects in the 2009 budget in October.
It is likely to allow the minister to offer dozens more schools the chance to progress their refurbishments or new building works this year, on top of those already projected, and may also ease the pressure on communities which have experienced huge growth in pupil numbers in recent years.
Mr O'Keeffe told the Irish Examiner last week he was hopeful of securing additional funding for the schools capital budget as part of the Government's efforts to help the flagging building industry.
However, as part of the €300m capital savings being sought in the economic recovery plan announced by Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday, €56m will have to be removed from the Department of Education's €300m non-schools capital spend.
The details have yet to be worked out but the cut will be felt most severely in third level building programmes and in public private partnership (PPP) projects. Mr O'Keeffe announced before Christmas the next six second-level schools and a primary school to be built under the PPP model would be completed within four years, but that could now be in doubt.
"We'll be looking at the specific details of the reductions in these programmes but the minister expects that, due to the very competitive environment in the construction sector, the effect of the reduction in these allocations will be greatly mitigated," a spokes-person said last night.
The minister is also coming under pressure to announce details soon of how much money will be available this year for the previously cancelled Summer Works Scheme.
It is also understood that the details of the 51,000 extra training places for the newly unemployed, which Mr Cowen said will be created, have yet to be finalised.
They are preparing proposals for Government on possibly making vacant places in third-level colleges available as well as providing other opportunities for people to improve their skills and qualifications.
