97 schools received €2m bail-out

ALMOST 100 schools have had to seek assistance to the tune of nearly €2 million by the Department of Education in the past five years because of serious financial difficulties.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin revealed in the Dáil yesterday that more than 97 schools have received average payments of more than €19,000 each to help meet their running costs, at a total cost of a little less than €1.9 million.

She was replying to a question from Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes, about the number of schools given money when they are unable to make ends meet and balance their books.