Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The position in respect of any purchase, and it is true of the purchase in Harold's Cross, is that it is based on an independent valuation in order that the State is getting value for money. Since the recovery in land values, we have to pay more for land for schools and, as I indicated to the Deputy yesterday at the joint committee meeting, that has increased in each of the past few years but, at the same time, we have increased the number of schools that we are building. The capital budgets have increased to put us in a position to deliver an increased number of school places year on year. The Deputy is correct that any land acquisition is expensive, particularly in city centre locations, but we still have to provide resources to educate children in those areas and, therefore, we have to pay the going price.

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