Mr. Eddie Ward:

I am not an expert on the Department's response on physical infrastructure, as I do not come from that side of the house. However, Department budgets were severely curtailed in recent years, at a time when the student population was exploding and when there was a demand for new schools on the eastern seaboard and in the greater Dublin area in particular. The Department prioritised those and the various Ministers prioritised the front-line services, including the PTR, and now we are beginning to address that in a more positive way. One would imagine that as these problems begin to become more manageable and subside, the kinds of issues and the audit the Deputy mentioned would be looked at and addressed in the most appropriate way. At the end of the day, the Minister and the Department are there to serve to the people and ensure the best infrastructure is in place.