Primary spaces targeted

THE bulk of the small spending increase in education will be set aside to provide space for the rising pupil numbers in primary schools.

The €9.3 billion allocation unveiled will allow the Department of Education to provide services worth a mere 1% more than this year. Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced she wants an extra €100 million for unexpected retirements and additional school building.

With about €117m extra to spend, €95m is being used for primary schools and extensions to cater for rapidly growing areas.

However, €30m less will be spent on second-level school building projects as a result of this.

A total of €828m is for capital spending on education, almost €600m for schools and €184m for third-level, up close to 20%.

The spending provision of about €8.5bn includes an extra 6% to meet wage increases.

An extra €18m is being given to cover more special needs assistants.

Irish National Teachers’ Organisation general secretary John Carr said: “Our classrooms will be even more overcrowded, this is the second time this government has broken a promise to end overcrowded classes.”

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland said the budget did nothing to address the shortfall in second level schools’ funding.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland president Tim O’Meara expressed disappointment there was no announcement on increasing educational psychologists available to schools.