Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I welcome the initiative introduced in 2003 as a major step forward. I also accept that prefabricated buildings or temporary accommodation as the Minister and her predecessor prefer to call them are necessary in some instances. Does she accept, however, that €74 million is a considerable amount to spend on buildings which, by their nature, are temporary and that this money could be put to better use?

The initiative worked well in certain places but will not work in areas of major population growth where the scale of a project may be too large for a school to be able to complete it on its own. This type of process may not be appropriate for large developments. How does the Minister intend to deal with difficulties of this nature?

The provision of prefabricated buildings is a short-term measure. For example, St. Corban's primary school in Naas welcomed the recent allocation of another prefabricated building because it is desperate. How many schools could have been built if we decided not to use this sticking plaster approach?

See this speech in context