Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I again thank both Deputies. To be clear, the Department's building and planning unit has proven itself to be fit for purpose in recent years. It has responded quite well and has a clear mission, which is to spend taxpayers' money correctly, wisely, fairly and equitably nationwide. Consequently, as the Deputy will appreciate, there must be a formal process. The unit has proved itself - I believe all Members have dealt with quite a number of cases over the years - and it can respond in the correct manner. The Deputy has indicated that the board of management has done the job correctly, with a good record and so on, and once a good record is in place and the school can prove that there has been a budget overrun and the reason for it, the Department and this unit always have shown the ability to do the job properly when a decision is to be made. However, Deputy Troy must appreciate that there must be a process. He is correct that there can sometimes be a timing difference between the allocation of money and the subsequent cost of building, but that must be shown clearly for the approved project. To be clear, I refer to the project that was approved; as the Deputy will appreciate, additional works are different. Hopefully this matter will be dealt with quite quickly. Information is going back and forth and the formal process is on the way but, in fairness, it is the unit's job to assess this matter and to deal with it properly. It will be helped if, as the Deputy noted, the board has done an excellent job in managing the devolved grant scheme. That scheme works well and has delivered many school projects in Counties Meath, Westmeath and Longford and everywhere else. It is a successful approach that works well. Most schools speak highly of it, and this is how it should be kept. The unit will respond accordingly to the information provided.

See this speech in context