Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I look after myself.

I received worrying news this morning about capital funding pressures in the Department of Education and about its work programme and priorities for 2023 and beyond. I have been informed that 58 school building projects are now on hold due to capital funding pressures. We need a list of the 58 schools on that list and how long the projects will be on hold. These include projects in my constituency of Meath West, including Enfield Community College. At a time when we have capacity pressures across the school system, this news in entirely unacceptable. The news also raises further concerns. If there are capital funding pressures in the Department of Education, in which other Departments are there also funding pressures? This is serious in the context of the national development plan. Will the Taoiseach give me an update today? I suggest the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform should come before the House in the next weeks to discuss this serious matter.

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