Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I was asked whether the Department anticipated this and I am in the best possible position because I was previously the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with responsibility for housing, urban renewal and developing areas. During my time in that post I arranged full contact with the Department of Education and Science because local authorities would influence the availability of sites and so on. A developing areas team was established at that time within the Department of Education and Science. Meetings between the Departments are ongoing and there is much integration and understanding. Before I left the housing office, we arrived at a situation where local authority city and county managers were prepared to anticipate demand and purchase sites on behalf of the Department of Education and Science. There is evidence of this all over Dublin. The level of co-operation I received from city and county managers was outstanding and there was much joined-up thinking and joined-up action between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Education and Science.

I was asked whether the difficulties that were to arise were not anticipated within the Department of Education and Science. There was not a lack of anticipation but migration patterns tend to favour certain locations and approaching April to June of 2007 there was an indication that there would be serious issues with regard to finding places in developing regions of the greater Dublin area. This was handled extremely well, with the co-operation of local authorities and others, to ensure that by the end of September all the people were accommodated.

Regarding the programme, Deputy Quinn will understand that the previous Minister announced around 54 projects. Some 24 of these were allowed to go to construction phase. My arrival at the Department coincided with a change in economic circumstances and, as a result, I had to review Departmental spending. I am well into the review at this point, although until Cabinet takes a collective decision I will not know for sure what finances are available for the remainder of the year. I am confident that I can produce a construction programme in the latter part of 2008 but I cannot outline the extent of it this afternoon. By September I will be in a strong position to outline what can and cannot be achieved.

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