Mr. Hubert Loftus:

I have to give context in answering any question. In terms of the Education Act, building matters are dealt with more at patron or trust level than at board of management or school principal level. Obviously, they have a strategic interest there. When projects are being done, design teams are appointed. They are the professional people who are involved in projects. They have a remit and requirement under the design team procedures to provide monthly progress reports to the school authority, and that would typically be the board of management, on progress on those. In terms of the individual arrangements down at the detail of how the interaction with the board of management or school principal works, I am head of the planning and building unit with a remit across 4,000 schools so I do not get into the nitty-gritty of what happens within the bowels and boards of every school.

At the more strategic level and at national level, we have a very large track record of delivery. We spend our allocation in our budgets. If our Department is compared to many others, and I am aware colleagues from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are present, ours is a Department that consistently delivers and spends in the capital area.