Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach will be aware that several schools, including some in our constituency - a number of them DEIS schools - effectively required to be rebuilt or remodelled under the schools building programme and, in particular, the schools refurbishment programme.

The plans have been submitted. I understand that in many cases, contractors fell by the wayside given the collapse of the construction industry. Nonetheless, the delays are now running past a year and a half. I am really concerned about the future of some schools. In respect of an enormous number of recently built and extremely fine schools in Dublin west, teachers in long-standing schools are being left in the freezing cold with the rain coming in and no insulation. The Taoiseach referenced this during various constituency functions we have both attended. These schools are now two to three years behind the given date that was published in good faith. What is going on with regard to the schools building list? Is it an attempt by the Minister for Education and Skills to hold back money? Is it simply confusion in that Department so that they cannot get the schools we need built?

See this speech in context