An extra £23 million is to be spent in the North on building new schools and repairing others, it was announced today.
Sinn Féin education minister Caitriona Ruane confirmed she received £13 million for her schools building programme under a reallocation of unspent Assembly funds, while a further £10 million had been found to tackle the maintenance backlog in schools.
The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) welcomed the announcement and said that while it would boost the education sector, it would also have wider economic benefits.
"It will provide much needed work for the construction industry in these difficult times for our economy and will help to sustain employment, but it will also help to enhance the learning facilities for school children throughout Northern Ireland," CEF managing director John Armstrong said.
Mr Armstrong said smaller construction companies would benefit from the maintenance work.
"Every £1 invested in construction generates £2.84 in economic activity. Pound for pound, the taxpayer could not get better value for money than this sort of investment," he said.
The largest school projects to get approval are at Strathearn Grammar in Belfast and Bangor Grammar.
The minister said the additional funding would help get projects off the ground and would boost her long-term spending plans, making progress on 14 schools projects, with minor works carried out in many others.
Ms Ruane said: "We are able to allocate almost £8.5 million for work to start on 13 new schools and the site acquisition for another. In addition, around £4.5 million will be provided for minor works projects across the schools estate.
"This essential work will address statutory and health and safety issues and help maintain the fabric of the buildings.
"In total, these projects will amount to an investment of over £65 million in the schools estate over the four-year period and will make a significant and welcome contribution to our economy."
PA