EDUCATION:PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED school building projects will go ahead despite cuts of over €134 million in the education budget, according to Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe.

The school building programme is being cut by €30 million but Mr O’Keeffe said he hopes to maximise the return from the €613 million budget by taking advantage of the more competitive environment in the construction sector.

All projects the Minister has already announced to go to tender will proceed this year, he said. Announcements about further capital projects will be made “at a later stage”.

Teachers’ union, the Asti, said it was regrettable the school building programme had been cut. The full impact of the cutbacks would only become apparent next September, it warned, when second-level students were faced with reduced subject choices, fewer staff and less funding.