Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to deal with the capital plan as well. I am glad the Minister for Finance and Public, Expenditure and Reform is present. When will the capital plan be published? Earlier, in a different debate, the Taoiseach told us that it would be in the coming weeks. I do not believe for a moment that the Government propaganda unit, with its €5 million to spend, has not already got detailed plans, colour documents, logos and websites planned. Specifically, when will the capital plan be published?

My next question is specifically about public private partnerships. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, will recall that when in government I restricted PPPs to 10% of the total capital spend. We could not get as much money as we needed. In the worst of times people did not lend us money. We could not spend it because of the restrictions on spending in any event, and thus PPPs were an option. After the experience with Carillion, I hope that the 10% ceiling will not be breached. I listened with care to the arguments to the contrary from Fianna Fáil at the end of last year when the party demanded significant expansion of PPPs.

Will the Taoiseach provide an update on where we are with Carillion? My understanding is that it now falls to the PPP company, which is now the Dutch infrastructure company, to re-award the construction contract to either the subcontractor, Sammon Construction, or to some other entity to ensure the unfinished schools can be completed. As I understand it, there are two completed schools now. Loreto secondary school in Wexford, the project I am most familiar with, is ready to be occupied and was to be occupied last week. Will the Taoiseach give an update on when those schools can be occupied?

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