600 building jobs ‘lost’ as school budget unspent

MORE than 600 potential building jobs were lost this year because of delays on primary school projects for a second year running.

Education Minister Mary Coughlan revealed she will not spend €62 million of her €378m allocation for large-scale projects in the primary sector.

This year’s budget included €72m under the same heading which her predecessor Batt O’Keeffe did not spend last year and was carried over.