Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the Minister's concerns about this application. This school has a higher than usual number of children with special needs so those concerns exist for all of us. I am aware from my constituency and elsewhere that the summer works scheme has been exceptionally successful.

However, there is a contradiction in the terms of the scheme. Section 2 states that an application for toilet facilities is allowable and section 1 refers to a project of an urgent and priority nature. Being familiar with public administration, I believe that within a scheme there is scope to cater for exceptional circumstances and this project is deemed urgent and a priority by the school staff, the principal, the board of management, the parent body and the local health professionals. The community in Belturbet would not urgently seek an investment unless it was necessary. A small investment would bring great benefit to the school-going population and the staff of St. Mary's boys national school. I hope the Minister will request that his officials finalise the application.

Many parents called my office about this and I called them back over the weekend. They are very concerned about the inadequacy of the poor toilet facilities. The number of special needs children in the school at present gives extra urgency to the case. Everybody involved with the school is anxious that the Minister consult directly with his officials on this issue, if possible, and that there be a successful outcome. A relatively small amount of investment will bring great benefits to so many children.

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