Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The school building programme for 2004 is further testimony to this Government's ongoing commitment to addressing the historical educational infrastructural deficit. The programme provides for an unprecedented level of investment of some €387 million in providing new and upgraded schools around the country. By the end of this year, in excess of €2 billion will have expended in modernising schools since 1997.

Within the 2004 programme I introduced a new initiative, called the summer works scheme, for capital grants for small-scale improvements for both primary and post-primary schools. This new initiative is in addition to the existing devolved grant scheme for minor works that applies to all primary schools. The €31 million provided for the new scheme is targeted at small-scale improvement works in those schools that are most in need of resources. The scheme reflects my overall approach of empowering school authorities to manage their own building programmes with minimal interaction with my Department. In excess of 450 schools will benefit from the scheme in 2004.

I confirm that it is open to schools that were unsuccessful this year to re-apply for funding as part of the 2005 scheme, details of which I will be announcing later this year. My Department will be in direct contact with all unsuccessful applicants outlining the reason works were not approved for their schools.