Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak about certain schools. I encourage the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, not to read out his self-congratulatory set of paragraphs but rather to commit to speaking to the member of Cabinet with responsibility, who might, unusually, provide clear timescales in respect of what I have to say.

A number of the schools in question are Irish language schools. Baineann siad le Gaeilge, ach ós rud é go bhfuil siad measctha — ní hí Gaeilge amháin atá i gceist — leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh i mBéarla. Gaelscoil Dara, for example, is 22 years in temporary buildings. When will the necessary adequate site for the school be provided? Tá Gaeilscoil Dara ann le tamall fada, níos mó ná 20 bliain, agus faigheann sí tacaíocht ó mhuintir na Gaillimhe. Tá a lán daltaí inti. Aríst is aríst eile, bíonn sé i gceist suíomh a chur ar fáil don scoil sin, rud ar a dtugann an Roinn "láithreán". Níl aon eolas dearfach againn maidir le cathain a chuirfear an láithreán ar fáil ná cá mbeidh sé, áfach.

The issue of Gaelscoil de hÍde in Oranmore, County Galway, has been turned into a political farce. Public representatives have attended a number of meetings and I have tabled parliamentary questions and raised the matter on the Adjournment. The latest is that the OPW is investigating several sites and conducting talks. Will the school be in a position to welcome students in the coming autumn or not? Cá bhfuil an suíomh sin, agus cathain a bheidh sé ar chumas na dtuismitheoirí agus na múinteoirí liosta a cheapadh don scoilbhliain atá le teacht?

Consider Scoil na hAirde Móire, whose uimhir rolla is 105911. Tá mé ag cur ceisteanna faoin scoil sin leis na blianta. I am not interested in who neglected the school in the past or if it was neglected for several generations. I am simply asking whether a new school will be provided or whether such urgent repairs as will enable proper education to take place will be made.

On Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge, many parents have written to me stating they are awaiting definite answers on vital works that need to be carried out at the school. The same is true of Scoil Bhríde in Shantalla in Galway city — this is in my area — and Scoil Bhríde in Tír na Cille, An Mám, Contae na Gaillimhe. The poor parents affected — God bless them — are wondering about the long period for which their children must wait for services. They are waiting for permission to get a bus.

I am bearing in mind the context in which I raise the issue of these schools. While one cannot move capital moneys from one Department to another, it is worth bearing in mind that the OPW had €55 million unspent last year. It ran on into the current financial year €31 million in respect of projects that are as yet unspecified. It yielded up €24 million to the Department of Finance. As a former Minister, I do not regard it as a great performance to yield up this amount to the Department of Finance, nor can it be regarded as a sparkling performance not to be able to spend €55 million when there are so many urgent cases in front of the Minister of State's nose. Why could we not have deflected that money to urgent works for the repair of schools, including those I have mentioned? I appeal to the Minister of State simply to give a precise date to those involved so this can be lifted out of the realm of politics and the atmosphere into which we will all be plunged as we prepare for the general election. The children deserve that.

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