Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 376: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount for 2009, budgeted to spend on renting buildings or facilities for education purposes at secondary level; the amount budgeted to spend for 2009 on providing temporary prefabricated buildings and maintaining prefabricated buildings for education purposes at secondary level; the amount budgeted to spend on school building in 2009; his views on this balance of capital-current spending; and the percentage of both the secondary school accommodation budget this represents and the percentage of the education budget as a whole that this represents. [38682/08]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 377: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount for 2009 budgeted to spend on renting buildings or facilities for education purposes at primary level; the amount budgeted to spend for 2009 on providing temporary prefabricated buildings and maintaining prefabricated buildings for education purposes at primary level; the amount budgeted to spend on school building for 2009; his views on this balance of capital-current spending; and the percentage of both the primary school accommodation budget this represents and the percentage of the education budget as whole this represents. [38683/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 377 together.

The level of funding for rented accommodation in 2009 will be finalised later in the year but will be met from my Department's overall allocation in the budget. The capital allocation of €581m in 2009, although a slight reduction over the 2008 allocation, represents a significant investment in the school building and modernisation programme. As the Deputy will appreciate, the wider climate in which the 2009 Budget has been framed is very different to that of recent years. The Government has been faced with very difficult choices across all areas of public spending. This level of funding for the building programme, at a time of pressure on the Government finances, is a sign of the very real commitment of this Government to investing in the school infrastructure and will permit the continuation of progress in the overall improvement of school accommodation.

The capital programme comprises a number of component elements or sub programmes. These include Large Scale Building Projects (new school buildings and major extensions/refurbishments); Emergency Works; Site Acquisitions; Remediation Programmes (asbestos removal, radon mitigation); Furniture and Equipment; provision of Temporary Accommodation etc. It is also my intention to have a Summer Works Scheme in 2009.

The level of funding available to each sub programme has not yet been finalised.