Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are two aspects to this. One is the current response and one is what Deputy Paul Murphy outlined earlier with regard to the historical case. I will deal with the current response first. The Tánaiste said that information is being provided. I contacted the unit today and eventually received an email in reply to thank me for my email and that the Department will reply to me as soon as possible. This is what parents can expect to hear when they raise the issue. This is not acceptable for anybody and it is not the way it should be. There should be somebody there to fill in people and tell them what is happening and ensure they receive the news so their fears can be allayed. This is vital.

Temporary accommodation will not be available. If it turns out the school needs to have temporary accommodation the Department will just turn around and say it is up to the school to sort it out. That is not acceptable in this situation because these school bodies had nothing to do with the building and provision of these schools. This was solely down to the Department. If the drive of the Department which allowed this certification process to take place is to get the lowest price on tenders that builders will then certify themselves, we will have these problems in the future.

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