Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I know the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, is not the Minister who is responsible for this, but there is a real problem here. When will anybody ever be held to accountant? There are primitive, totally unacceptable conditions in which our young people are expected to be educated. It is intolerable. I am supposed to accept a response that says not to blame the Department, that it is the fault of the ETB because of the service legal agreement. If that is true, who will make it pay for the debacle, which is what this is? If it is the fault of the ETB, someone has to be held to account. The Minister of State said the detailed design is almost complete. I am sorry but I cannot celebrate because the design team started in February 2013 and the final design proposal was completed two years later in 2015. For me to be told in 2019 that it is nearly complete is no solace at all, it is a cause for great concern.

We are told that the prequalification process is at issue but the ETB says it did its bit in that regard in 2016. Why is this process still outstanding? Whose fault is it that this is still outstanding? If it was doing this back in 2016, how can I be assured that it is finally sorted? The Minister of State might shed some light on the other issues that have arisen because, again, that is a problem as well. Nine years after this was given the nod, there are other issues coming to the fore. Based on all of the stages outlined by the Minister of State in terms of tenders, contractors and so on it will be another two years before anything will even start. That cannot be allowed. Entire generations will be going through this school. There are children there now whose parents and grandparents have been through it in almost the same condition. I cannot accept that without somebody being held accountable.

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