Some €544 million is to be spent on school building and modernisation projects next year, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said yesterday.
Investment of over €300 million in large-scale school building projects, focused mainly in developing areas, will provide over 15,000 pupil places in new schools and the extension and modernisation of facilities in existing schools for another 45,000 pupils, according to the Minister.
A further €100 million is to be invested in the summer works scheme, with some 1,000 schools to benefit from projects such as roof repairs, window replacement, and electrical and mechanical upgrades.
In all, €305 million will be spent on projects in primary schools, while €229 million will be allocated to post-primary schools, with €10 million more for computers at both levels.
"Since 1997 a total of €3 billion has been invested in school buildings and this has delivered over 7,800 school building projects. This further investment of €544 million will build on these achievements and will focus in particular on the provision of school accommodation in areas where the population is growing at a rapid rate," said Ms Hanafin.
Construction is due to begin in 2007 on the first group of post-primary schools under the Government's public-private partnership project, which will initially provide new schools in Portlaoise, Banagher and Ferbane. The second group - consisting of schools in Cork, Kildare, Meath, Limerick and Wicklow - will be offered to the market next year.
Labour spokeswoman on education Jan O'Sullivan welcomed the funding for school building but said the department was "still playing an ongoing game of catch-up" with the needs of communities.
She suggested the process of providing school accommodation needed a radical overhaul, with the department involving itself in the development of each school at an earlier stage.
"The department should engage to a much greater extent with local authorities," she said. "Currently councils can zone lands for educational use, but that's of little or no use unless the department can acquire the land for a reasonable sum, for the use of a school. The department could save money by buying land earlier, so allowing them spend more on the direct needs of the students.The crazy practise of building housing estates first and schools later is one that simply has to end."
The announcement was welcomed by TUI general secretary Jim Dorney, who said it was vital the funding be targeted at communities that need it most.
"It is also crucial that computer facilities be updated and upgraded within schools to assist in the development of a knowledge-based economy. As it stands, too many of our schools are burdened with obsolete computer facilities that are of little or no practical use," he said.
INTO general secretary John Carr said the funding showed a "clear commitment" to tackling the problem of sub-standard school buildings as highlighted by his union.
