MINISTER FOR Education Batt O’Keeffe has been urged to give the go-ahead to essential capital projects in the school building programme after it emerged the Department of Education has yet to spend €396 million of its budget.
New figures showed just €455 million out of an €841 million capital allocation has been spent this year to modernise schools and provide new buildings.
Defending the figures, the department said the shortfall was due to savings in the cost of projects, and said many bills had yet to come in.
Mr O’Keeffe later rejected suggestions the money would be lost to the school building programme because of the underspend. He said 75 projects had been earmarked for spending and, while not all of the money would be spent this year, the balance of the funds would be spent in 2010.
However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) warned the remainder of the budget may “fall into a black hole” and said there were projects that could begin quickly if given approval.
Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, general secretary of the teachers’ union Sheila Nunan described the figures as “entirely astonishing” and said the outstanding bills would not cover the shortfall. “Projects coming in cheap are of course something to be applauded,” she said. “The obvious implication and consequence of that is that therefore the money goes further and the projects that are in the pipeline should be bumped up . . . and given the green light.”
Under rules for department budgets, only 10 per cent of an annual budget can be carried forward. However, the figures indicate the underspend may be as much as 20 per cent.
The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said up to 4,000 jobs were at risk because of the underspend. Director general Tom Parlon said there was concern the capital programme was being wound down in Ireland when other governments were using increased construction spending to stimulate economic recovery.
The Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents the management of almost 400 voluntary secondary schools, said it was concerned at the underspend, particularly as many schools have been waiting years to upgrade what it described as “inadequate school buildings”.
JMB general secretary Ferdia Kelly called on the Minister to ensure the full capital budget for 2009 was spent.
Fine Gael’s education spokesman Brian Hayes said the figures highlighted the “extraordinary and chaotic management” of the school building programme.
“Historically, money not spent in one year can go back in the estimates programme. It would be a scandal if this money was lost to education because it hasn’t been spent,” he said.
Labour Party eduction spokesman Ruairí Quinn called for the introduction of a transparent system for deciding on building projects.
Sinn Féin said Mr O’Keeffe should resign his ministerial position, with education spokesman Pearse Doherty describing the situation as “ludicrous”.
