Ms Moira Leydon:

I will do so. Current school accommodation must be addressed. Future builds are important but we must look at current school accommodation and its capacity to meet change.

It is always important to end on a positive note. What can be done? Obviously, there is the area of planning and investment but there are two very practical solutions which the ASTI would like to leave with the committee. First, several reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General and a 2013 ESRI report on funding stated that we need an inventory of accommodation at school level. We simply do not have it. We know about demographics for the future but we do not know what we currently have to meet need. Second, I bring to the attention of the committee that the Department of Education and Skills is engaged in a very innovative and pragmatic OECD project, the learning environments evaluation programme, which is all about doing inventories of current accommodation to meet future educational and demographic needs.

I strongly urge our departmental colleagues to remain with that programme. It is a very important way for us to learn from our European partners. It will also give us the tools to do the type of inventory we are recommending. I will leave those two practical suggestions with the Cathaoirleach. Go raibh maith agat.