MORE THAN half the school projects promised for last year have not yet been started, according to Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes.
He said not a brick had been laid in more than half of the 78 school developments announced for 2009 over a year ago by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe.
Mr Hayes said information obtained by him in response to a Dáil question showed that only 11 of the announced school building projects had actually been built, while 42 out of the 78 were stuck in planning limbo.
A total of 30 projects are currently at tender, 12 have not reached tender yet, while the remaining 25 projects are under construction.
“The fact that less than half of promised school projects haven’t even begun construction is an appalling lack of progress at a time when construction prices are at an all-time low and value for money on capital projects is better than ever,” he added.
Mr Hayes said the Minister had squandered an opportunity to speed up the sluggish school building programme while ensuring value for money.
“This is also exemplified by the fact that the number of new classrooms built fell sharply in 2009 with 40 per cent fewer classrooms built compared to the previous year, with 614 in comparison to 1,000.” The Fine Gael spokesman said the Department of Education was blaming the delay on a new type of public contract introduced by the Department of Finance in February 2008.
“While I accept that this would have had an impact, it is intolerable that almost two years later a lack of familiarity with paperwork is the reason for holding up the school building programme.”
A spokesman for the Minister said a number of factors, including site acquisition issues, planning permission and the new form of public works contract had delayed some projects.
“However, the facts are that this year the Government is investing €579 million in the school building programme, over six times the paltry Fine Gael spend when that party was last in power,” said the spokesman.
