David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

Fully briefed. I worry when a Minister is late, states he is fully briefed and reads a prepared script in response to Deputies' contributions. Maybe the Minister of State will tell me if we are wasting our time coming to the House at all. My experience is that we hear no more about the issues we raise and that they are shelved somewhere in some report. I ask the Minister of State opposite to take a personal interest in this issue. The school laboratories in question are in urgent need of replacement.

I declare a personal interest in that I have two youngsters attending the school. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that, in this day and age, we need proper, up-to-date, safe laboratories. It is not good enough that a school laboratory has not been upgraded in 33 years. The Minister of State should dig out the relevant file in the Department tomorrow morning and ascertain what can be done for the Midleton Christian Brothers' school. In spite of the odds, the school won a prize in science. One wonders what great work it could achieve if it had proper facilities.

The Minister of State should note that the new science curriculum requires each class to perform at least ten experiments per year. This is impossible in the present circumstances in the Midleton school. It is just not on and it is also unsafe. The Minister should ascertain, as a matter of urgency, what his Department can do to assist this excellent school, which needs assistance after 33 years.

I reiterate the words of Dr. Harris, who stated that if we do not have a hands-on approach to science in second level schools, we are wasting our time and will be left behind no matter what we do in research or at third level. I am sure the Minster of State agrees with this and that he will do his utmost to facilitate and help. I will follow this matter carefully to see if I get a response from the Minister in the coming weeks. If I do, I will not be wasting everybody's time discussing this matter in the House. If I receive no reply, it will not be good enough. I await action on this matter.

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