Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

We now keep money rolling constantly through the pipeline. It no longer applies that we must spend all capital funding within a particular year. It is a rolling capital envelope, so we can show that more and more projects are getting into the system.

Given that 1,300 schools undertook modernisation projects this year, it is important they would be dealt with under a number of different schemes, particularly devolved schemes. Later this week I will announce another batch of schools that will go to tender over the next year to 15 months or so. There will then be a further announcement with regard to the summer works scheme for next year to allow schools to plan properly, and a further announcement on the permanent initiative. With so many schools undertaking projects, the schools realise the investment taking place is helping them to deliver both small scale and large scale solutions for schools that have experienced under-investment for many years.

Some 1,300 schools are in the building programme and this year alone 1,300 schools — it is a coincidence of numbers — are undertaking building projects. Significant progress is being made on all of those buildings.

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