€130m spent on schools in a month after budget criticism

THE Department of Education spent €130 million on school buildings and other capital works last month after criticisms that it was holding back vital funding.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe had come in for criticism in recent months because of significant under-spending from his €841m capital budget for last year.

Less than €630m of it had been spent at the end of November, by which stage €739m was scheduled to have been paid out.