A major announcement of capital spending plans for the coming years has stated that investing in new schools is to be a priority of the government.

The Department of Education will receive a total of 440 million euros a year over the next five years, which is to be used to create an extra 80,000 new school places at primary and post-primary level.

Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn said that while cuts would have to be made in the third-level sector to support this - with plans for a new campus for the Dublin Institute of Technology at Grangegorman to be put on hold - the priority must be ensuring the education system can cope with a rising birth rate.

"Given the constraints on capital funding, the government has to prioritise school building projects and the very real need to ensure that every child has access to a school place," he stated.

Therefore, as part of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment programme, funding to create 20 new primary and 20 new secondary schools will be made available.

Details of the building programme for 2012 will be announced next month, Mr Quinn continued.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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