Government accused of breaking promises on school building projects
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 30 September 2008 01:00
By Niall Murray, Education Correspondent
CLAIMS of broken election promises and a lack of transparency have been levelled at the Government after Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's first school building announcement yesterday.
Many of the 25 schools on the list of projects taking the next step in the building programme, including seven cleared to begin construction, appear to have jumped ahead of others that were promised two years ago that their building works would be under way by last February.
Of 54 primary schools given such a commitment by Mr O'Keeffe's predecessor Mary Hanafin in November 2006, only 20 have been cleared for work to begin.
Fine Gael's education spokesman, Brian Hayes, described the building programme as a political lucky-bag and called for a return to the system operated by Noel Dempsey when he had charge of funds up to 2004, with the priority of all schools clearly available on the Department of Education website.
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation has said there has to be more openness from the department to explain why some schools are leapfrogging others to the top of list.
However, Mr O'Keeffe's spokesperson said the schools selected yesterday had the greatest urgency and progress was being made on the remaining 34 schools from the November 2006 announcement.
Among those still waiting for approval is Kilfinane National School, whose pupils face another year queuing for an outside toilet, despite having contractors lined up since earlier this year to begin work on a new six-classroom school.
Principal Siobhan O'Flynn said staff and pupils were very disappointed at being left out of the minister's announcement, but remain hopeful of being included in the next group of schools given clearance early next year.
However, uncertainty remains about the level of funding that will be available for school buildings next year ahead of the budget next month, although Mr O'Keeffe will be lobbying for an increase on this year's €586 million fund.
