Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This will improve employability and work readiness outcomes for participants by giving them opportunities to put their work skills into practice and to learn new skills. My colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, will outline these schemes in detail later today.

Capital Expenditure

The five-year Exchequer Capital Framework published last year sets out a programme of Exchequer investment of €17 billion out to 2016 which will address critical infrastructure deficits, aid economic growth and jobs and provide for much needed infrastructure. The overall capital budget for next year will be €3.4 billion and will focus on the sectors prioritised in last year's capital review, namely, health, education and jobs.

In July, I announced a new jobs stimulus initiative amounting to a package of €2.25 billion aimed at leveraging funds to support a new public private partnership, PPP, programme of projects in key areas of infrastructure. There have been some very positive signals to that initiative. PPP bundle 3 reached financial close last month and construction has commenced. A loan of €50 million secured through the European Investment Bank for this project is a further signal of that bank’s renewed confidence in the Irish State and in our recovery programme, as is the provision of €200 million in funding for Exchequer projects in schools and in the water sector.

The capital allocation for education will ensure we will continue to provide additional school places next year to meet growing demographic demand. Preparatory works for the major Grangegorman DIT campus will also get under way next year.

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