Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Having listened to the Minister of State's response it is clear he did not listen to what I said. It is clear the Department of Education and Skills did not make even cursory inquiries because this is a devolved scheme and has nothing to do with the major capital projects. It does not matter how many schools will be built next year or in the following years, the issue is, as I pointed out, that only 71% of this year's budget has been spent despite the fact that three quarters of the year is over. If the Department continues to spend less than its budget, it will wind up with a surplus of €60 million that must be returned to the Department of Finance. That money will not be available for next year's projects, as we both know.

My suggestion is that we take advantage of the fact that the builders are on the site. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, when in Opposition stated clearly it was a disgrace that prefabs were in use in any school. My argument is that by sanctioning the money now for the works that the school proposes, the work could be done and paid for by Christmas. If that money is not spent by the end of the year it must return to the Department of Finance.

This has nothing to do with the list of schools seeking funding for major capital projects. That is irrelevant. Any person with good management skills in the Department would give the go-ahead for a small top-up grant when projects with planning permission and builders on site request permission to get on with the job. The information on the demographic profile of the school-going population and the need for major capital projects is irrelevant to the case I was making.

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