9 Oct 2009
The Minister has the Money
By his own recent admission, the Minister for Education clearly has a whopping €386m of unspent funding at his disposal. More than enough to build a new school for Gaelscoil Philib Barún and for many, many others too.
However, for reasons known only to him and his department, our school is left languishing among 1,178 other schools awaiting major capital works. This is not only depressing (considering we’ve been asking for a permanent school for over 24 years) but also shocking when you consider how many other schools are in the same situation as we are.
The mere fact that €386m of budgeted money remains unspent is not only a crime against our children but also a crime against thousands of construction workers facing very tough and uncertain times at present. The Minister has confirmed that the money will indeed be spent but he did not say when, where or how.
The waiting continues…
Gaeilge
English
D’eirigh go glic leis an Aire an cheist a sheachaint. Tá’s ag an saol nach féidir leis an Aonad Tógála sa Roinn na foirgnimh a sheachadh de réir éilimh. Ní raibh siad riamh in ann fiú agus an tír ag snámh san airgead. Níor bhuail an súnamí daonra go fóill agus tá an tAire ag caint faoi mhargadh a bhfuair sé sa ghiobalshiopa áitiúl ag ceannach buicéad agus sluasad.
The Minister dodged the issue quite cleverly. The delivery of projects by the DES has always been problematic. When the money was there they could not deliver. There are too few projects progressing too slowly in light of the demand already there for buildings. The population tsunami approaches while the Minister boasts about the great value he got in the local novelty shop buying his shovel and bucket.
Daithí de Paor
October 9th, 2009 at 19:34permalink