Government pays out to schools on day of anger

MORE THAN 120 schools were added yesterday to the Government’s building programme as it came under fire for failing to deliver dozens of similar projects promised before last year’s general election.

A Department of Education spokesperson said the timing of the updated building programme, delivering €15 million worth of refurbishment works to dilapidated schools, was purely coincidental.

The unexpected announcement came as opposition parties were outraged by revelations that then Education Minister Michael Woods was adding schools to the programme early last year, weeks before he had secured the necessary funding.