Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government makes a commitment to deliver a school capital programme. Land costs is a cross-government issue. I am glad the State is taking an interest in Dublin 6 and providing schools in that area, which is important for the children of the area, but I am deeply concerned by media reports of the cost of the land in Harold's Cross as €23 million. This is almost the same as the entire budget for purchasing land for the year. It represents almost a doubling of the Department's land costs. This is an issue for health and housing, in particular, and not just education. What are the cross-government plans to deal with excessive land costs and to deliver its capital programme?

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