Fine Gael TD Deputy Michael Ring this week hit out at the Department of Education for the lack of progress on the upgrading of Our Lady’s secondary school in Belmullet. “Once again no date was given for the start up of works,” said Deputy Ring, “I am calling on the Minister to use the funding that we know is available to the Department to get this much needed upgrade off the ground.”
In a parliamentary question reply to Deputy Ring, Minister Batt O’Keeffe stated: “The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme for 2010 and subsequent years. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the delivery of the project at this time.”
Deputy Ring argued: “We were told last week that €213m of the education budget is still unspent. I am calling again on the Minister to provide this funding to this school.”
