Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I am glad of the opportunity to be able to expand on what has been said here. I have saved something in the region of €14 million already on prefabs so far this year compared to last year. We are delighted with these savings. I introduced an initiative which gives the option of erecting a permanent structure as against a prefab, and 159 schools have taken up the option. A classroom can now be built for less than €100,000. Two classrooms today cost €132,000, so there is outstanding value for money to be had.

We started the year believing we might, perhaps, get a saving of 15%, and we now have 30%. Therefore I was able to increase the number of summer work schemes and the amount of money put into energy conservation as well as putting €30 million into minor works in schools to enhance the environment. We are doing an outstanding job, I believe, this year. The only area in which we have a difficulty is in the larger projects. The Deputy asked whether we will spend the money, and of course we will. We were allowed a derogation of 10%. My total budget was over €841 million, therefore I could carry forward those projects that were not completed in 2009 and finish them in 2010. That is what I intend to do, and I emphasise I will not be giving any money back to the Exchequer. All that money will be spent on the projects as outlined.

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