Three Galway schools are to benefit from national funding agreed with the European Investment Bank.

The programme will build more than 550 new classrooms, and involve modernisation and construction in 35 primary and 12 secondary schools.

The Galway schools included in the initiative are Oughterard National School, Tirellan Heights National School and Coláiste Iognáid in the city.

Construction works supported by the initiative started in January and are expected to be completed by December 2014.

The announcement was made in Dublin today by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn, and European Investment Bank President Werner Hoye.

He says the initiative will also create vital construction jobs around the country.