Mr. Liam Burke:

In the village I live in, lobbying began three years ago. It was agreed that it would be built and that school in Termonfeckin is half built now. I pass that school on my way to work every day. It is incomprehensible how that school is getting built while we are still waiting. It is not as big a project but it is similar in size. Work is supposed to start on our school in quarter 1 of 2019. However, I am tired of telling parents that work will begin in six months or in one year. The sad thing for me is that I meet my student council every two weeks, and the first thing they ask is when the building will begin. I have been answering that question since 2006. We were probably one of the first primary schools to have a student council back in 2002. It is an exercise in utter frustration.

I hope that we do begin in quarter one of 2019. There are lessons to be learned in terms of communication. Communication with the Department of Education and Skills is appalling. I have an outstanding communication from 15 January consisting of two letters and three emails around the question on prefabs.

I await a clear answer on that matter. That is just one example. All communication broke down completely in 2008 when we had our first design team. There are lessons to be learned about communication and proper priority for schools. Schools should be given a building according to their needs, but, as Deputy Thomas Byrne alluded to, there is no priority. We need everything to be more systematic. The systems in place should be as one would have them in the private sector.