Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The projects are a mixture of greenfield developments and refurbishment and replacement of existing buildings, at primary, post-primary and third level. In addition, public-private partnership contracts have been concluded for the provision of five new state-of-the-art post-primary schools catering for 3,500 students. These schools are located at Tubbercurry, Ballincollig, Clones, Dunmanway and Shannon. The schools in Dunmanway and Shannon will be ready to open by the end of 2002.

Given this unprecedented level of commitment to both capital and current investment at all levels of education, I am bound to reiterate what I have said previously about the provision for education in the current financial year. Expenditure on education services this year will not be one cent less than the amount provided for in the 2002 budget. What will change is the distribution of the budget over expenditure areas, mainly because some programmes have developed at a faster pace than expected while others have been somewhat slower, primarily because of the need to ensure good planning and effective implementation.

The Government's track record in education is second to none. We will continue to invest heavily in education. We will continue to invest in our children's futures. We will continue to ensure we have a workforce that is highly skilled and adaptable to change. In doing so, we are committed to ensuring everyone, whatever his or her social or economic circumstances, has an equal opportunity to participate fully in education at all levels. I commend the amendment to the House. I thank Fine Gael Members for giving me the opportunity to outline the extensive education programme we have in place.