Agreement to guarantee rollout of paused school building programme secured

Norma Foley on Wednesday announced that an agreement has been secured to facilitate the continued rollout of the school building projects

An agreement to guarantee and support the rollout of the Department of Education’s paused school building programme has been secured, the Education Minister has announced.

Norma Foley on Wednesday announced that an agreement has been secured to facilitate the continued rollout of the school building projects which were temporarily suspended due to capital funding pressures.

Last month, it emerged that 58 school-building projects due to go to tender or construction this year were put on hold because of funding pressures.

This also had knock-on effects for other schools in the system.

Discussions between the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have been ongoing in the weeks since.

The Department of Education is to update each of the 58 schools in relation to the formal arrangements and next steps in respect of the delivery of their individual projects.

Speaking today, Norma Foley said: “The Department of Education is committed to an ambitious capital programme that delivers new and modernised facilities in school communities and Government is absolutely supportive of continuing this very ambitious and important programme of delivery.” 

“This will include provision for all of the 58 schools that were temporarily paused to progress to tender and construction stage and Department officials will contact those schools directly”.

“I would like to thank my Cabinet colleague Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe who worked tirelessly with me and my Department officials in order to facilitate the delivery of these urgently required school building projects.” 

Josepha Madigan, Minister of State for Special Education, said: "I am very pleased that we will be able to deliver on the planned school building projects. Many of these will support and enable the inclusion of students with special educational needs, in modern, facilities.”