Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Overall, the proposed Supplementary Estimate appears to be benign in that the Minister is proposing to increase the Department's net voted allocation from €8.2 billion to €8.3 billion. The capital budget is being increased by €100 million from €427 million. While I welcome the decision to build more schools, the proposed increase amounts to approximately 25% of the original capital budget for the year. How many additional school places will be provided as a result of this increase of €100 million compared to the number planned in respect of the original provision of €427 million? Have costs shot up dramatically or are additional projects and school places planned?

The question asked in the media is whether the Department has run out of money and whether it is able to pay the bill for projects that are due for completion. It has also been suggested that this increase reflects a pre-election splurge that has gone wrong. In other words, too many projects were announced in the rush before the general election. While I am sure all these projects were necessary and welcome, is it the case that they were not planned for financially? This is a legitimate question in light of the substantial increase required in the capital budget. All the Deputies present will fight to secure as much of the capital budget as possible for our own areas and schools in general. However, this increase appears to suggest extremely bad planning by the Department.

The minor works grant is included in the capital budget. Have the grants been allocated or will they be allocated by the end of the year? For how much of the €100 million increase does the minor works grant account?

In my constituency, schools which had been informed that building projects were due to proceed to construction next year have now learned that they will not proceed as planned. It has been suggested that the money required has been spent by the Department and that funding is no longer available. Is this a widespread problem? Has the programme of major capital works the Department announced last year slowed down because costs have increased or did the Department not provide sufficient money to complete it?

A Supplementary Estimate of €11 million for superannuation for institutes of technology staff will cover lump sums for 59 retirees. This works out at approximately €189,000 per retiree. Is that figure correct?

I presume Deputies may make a further contribution when the Minister has responded.