Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I accept the Deputy's point. However, if a decision were made to establish another all-Irish teacher training college, the possible location would have to be examined. That is a matter for the Minister for Education and Science.

I wish to make clear that Baile Bhuirne was not bought for a specific purpose, something that was controversial at the time. The property came on the market and we decided to purchase it. Proposals regarding an ionad náisiúnta oideachais came after that. I recall that when the proposal to purchase came to me from Údarás na Gaeltachta, I wrote a three-page treatise on why it should be bought, even though there was no specific purpose for it at the time.

The purchase price of £0.5 million seems low today. For that sum we acquired 40 acres of land and a building, on a site adjacent to the Údarás's existing industrial estate in Baile Bhuirne. Some of the land has since been amalgamated into the industrial estate and is used by Údarás na Gaeltachta for its industrial purposes. In addition, some of the land has been made available for sports purposes. We all know the high costs involved in securing land for sports facilities in local communities. The initial investment has probably already paid for itself and we still have the buildings and most of the land for future use.

I reiterate that the property was not purchased with the intention of building a national education centre there. That proposal arose subsequent to the purchase. That is the explanation for the timeframe of nine years since the site was bought. When land became available in the middle of the village of Baile Bhuirne, adjacent to the existing Údarás lands, it was clearly a wise move to purchase because it would never come on the market again. If we had not bought, there would probably be houses there now and everybody would say it was an awful pity we did not purchase it. It is a fantastic State resource and we must use it wisely and ensure good use for it in future. I have no doubt that will happen in time. We will continue to work towards that objective.

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