Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry for being late, but I had to attend another meeting.

I empathise with what the delegates have said. It sounds all too familiar and that is the difficulty. A number of us are due to attend a meeting tonight in our own area where the children attending the local school have been educated in prefabs for 22 years. The pattern is similar to some of the stories that have been outlined, including the communication difficulties. I know of a school in my constituency that was at the top of the list. The building project was to move to construction the next year, but then it disappeared from the list and I have not been given an explanation. I do not have one for the parents I shall meet tonight. Neither do I have an explanation for the pupils, their parents and the teachers in the schools we are discussing. There is something wrong when we, as elected representations, have not been given an explanation. At one stage I was my party's spokesperson on education. Other members have a background in education and so on. It is a blank canvas when it comes to trying to find out where one's school is and whether there has been progress made. The problem is not just that there is a lack of information or communication. Can the delegates recommend to the committee ways by which the position can be imporoved? What is the best way forward? Everyone wants a silver bullet and to be told that their school project will go ahead or is on track, but it should not be like that. The system should be fair, open and transparent. Unfortunately, that is not the case.