Galway schools which have already been sanctioned for building programmes, are now under severe threat due to the slashing of almost €40 million from the school building budget.
This is the view of Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy Eames who said she was “outraged” at the “lack of solutions” in Tuesday’s Budget to meet critical education needs in the State.
She said capital expenditure for the school building programme for this year has taken a “serious hit” in the Budget, with this year’s allocation slashed from €652.9 million to some €613 million.
“With €40 million less now in the pot, many schools which have already have been sanctioned for building programmes, are now perilously at risk,” she said.
She said such schools are Maree NS, Oranmore; the boys’ and girls’ primary schools, Oranmore; Clarinbridge NS; Gaelscoil de hÍde, Oranmore; Scoil Mhuire, Moycullen; and Colaiste na Coiribe, Galway.
“A badly needed new primary school for Doughiska - which has been approved under the building programme - is now likely to be put on the back-burner in a bid to fill the exorbitant hole in the public finances,” she said.
Sen Healy Eames also feared that the future of a new Clifden Community School now hangs “worryingly in the balance” while the current building remains in a “chronic state of disrepair”.
“This Government is attempting to deal with our economic woes by heavily taxing the worker,” she said. “Its refusal to implement a job creation strategy and to step up the school building programme is not only taking away opportunities from the unemployed, it is depriving our children of suitable environments in which to learn.”
