Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach when the cross-departmental team on infrastructure and public private partnerships will meet; the number of meetings of the team planned for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48391/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach the membership of the Cabinet committee on housing, infrastructure and public private partnership. [1239/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach the membership of the Cabinet committee on health. [1240/10]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach when the cross-departmental team on housing, infrastructure and public private partnership last met; when the next meeting is due; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3178/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.

A Cabinet committee on economic renewal was established in September 2008. Its role is to bring a new focus to the key policies and programmes necessary to ensure an appropriate and cohesive response to the scale of the challenges facing our economy. This includes overseeing the development and implementation of the Government's smart economy framework for sustainable economic renewal. As I indicated to the House in February and October last, the work of the Cabinet committee on housing, infrastructure and PPPs, and its supporting cross-departmental team, has been subsumed within these arrangements.

The Cabinet committee on economic renewal meets as necessary, which is generally on a monthly basis. Membership of the committee, which I chair, includes the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Health and Children. Other Ministers attend where necessary: the Ministers for Education and Science, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Transport, Social and Family Affairs, and Arts, Sport and Tourism. The Minister of State with responsibility for science, technology and innovation attends on a regular basis.

I chair the Cabinet committee on health, of which the other members are the Ministers for Health and Children and Finance and the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs. Other Ministers who are not members of the Cabinet committee may attend meetings where appropriate.

Cabinet committees are an integral part of the Cabinet process. Questions as to the business conducted at Cabinet or Cabinet committee meetings have never been allowed in the House on the grounds that they are internal to Government. The reasons for this approach are founded on sound policy principles and the need to avoid infringing the constitutional protection of Cabinet confidentiality. Questions on specific policy or programme matters are most appropriately addressed to the Minister with responsibility for the area concerned.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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What labour-intensive projects does the Government propose to announce this year? I am speaking of projects such as the metro west, the metro north and the rail interconnector. When will work commence on such major projects? Were these discussed by the Cabinet sub-committee?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As I said, we never discuss what goes on at Cabinet committee meetings other than by indicating the fact that they have taken place and what they broadly cover. To be helpful to the Deputy, I will mention that €6.4 billion is being spent under the capital investment programme this year - a significant amount, which represents an estimated 80,000 jobs in a range of areas including education, with school building throughout the country.

With regard to transport, under Transport 21 the inter-urban motorway system will be completed by the end of the year. It is envisaged that there will also be significant investment in public transport this year. At this stage of Transport 21, we are moving towards significant investment in public transport as a component of the transport spend, and this will increase over the coming years. The projects mentioned by the Deputy are proceeding through the various preparatory stages and will be dealt with in due course.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I remind the House that the proceedings of Cabinet committees are confidential.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I understand that. I will not ask the Taoiseach for details of the meetings.

On a recent visit to Brussels for a meeting, I took the opportunity to visit a massive wind farm halfway between Charleroi and Brussels, which has the largest wind turbines in the world. It is run by a company called Enercon, from northern Germany. Each of these turbines is about 400 ft. high. They cost €12 million apiece and are provided in a month. There are two permanent jobs associated with each tower, and the farmer on whose land the wind farm is situated gets €100,000 per year. Each one generates enough electricity to power 5,000 houses. In a county with 60,000 houses, a small number of these turbines could provide enough electricity to power all of them. Large stretches of the country could be powered in this fashion.

The targets set by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources will never be reached because we do not have community buy-in, and the planning structure makes things difficult with objections and so on. In County Clare, the county manager and councillors of all parties and none agreed on a material contravention of the county development plan after designating various areas of the county as having high, medium, low or zero potential for wind energy. In terms of its equivalent in oil, there is a Saudi Arabia blowing up and down the west coast every day. When one considers the statistics and the economics of it, one sees massive opportunities in terms of job creation. Many of the materials required for such facilities could be manufactured in this country - concrete, metal, plastics, environmentally benign coatings and so on. Jobs would be provided for architects, engineers and tradesmen.

I do not know whether the Cabinet sub-committee has examined the urgency of dealing with this, but if we are serious about the targets the Government has set for itself in terms of wind energy, we are far behind. We would need to provide one of the turbines I mentioned every three or four days until the deadline to meet our stated objective. An effort should be made to gain acceptance of such projects among communities. The Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, chaired by Deputy Barrett, voted in favour of the revised EU Commission decision to allocate billions of euro to renewable energy and carbon capture projects across the EU.

We do not have to start disrupting special areas of conservation, national heritage areas or areas of environmental sensitivity. As has happened in County Clare, an examination of State-owned and private lands that are not zoned would find adequate space for major wind energy projects. When the next meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee takes place, I suggest the Taoiseach seek a report on the potential that exists. We should be driven by a sense of urgency. There would be thousands of jobs for people all over the country if we could get the structure right and ensure acceptance by communities, with a real drive by Government to start the manufacturing process. In this way we can meet the targets set by Government for energy production.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The target we have set of achieving 15% of our overall energy mix from sustainable sources will be reached this year. As the Deputy knows, we have a longer term plan to reach a target of 40% sustainable energy to meet our overall energy requirements. There is a lot of work ongoing in regard to that. The Minister, I think everyone will agree, is very committed to that area and is pursuing it, as are the ESB and other incumbents in the energy market. We now have a more competitive energy market and certainly not one that is dominated by any one company, although the ESB is clearly the largest player in the market. Viridian and others in the market are moving in that direction and looking at having an investment programme that will see an increase in sustainable energy sources in the future.

I commend councillors, whether in Clare or anywhere else, where they can see an advantage or where they have a resource that can be harnessed. Obviously, one welcomes the broad, unanimous support there is for moving in that direction, but it is important to point out the Government is committed to this area. Moving to a more sustainable energy source is important for us. We can become net exporters in due course. We have an interconnector with which we are proceeding at the moment. We have unified the electricity sector on an all-island basis and there has been a lot of co-operation undertaken in that area, much to the benefit of all consumers, North and South. Whether in wind energy or wave energy, a number of projects being undertaken hold some prospects. Were they to prove as successful as those involved hope for, they would make a very serious contribution towards changing the energy landscape in Ireland over a period of time. It is an area to which we are committed.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Has the Cabinet committee on housing infrastructure and public-private partnership set new terms of reference or has it a new programme of work, given the changed situation in terms of housing and the economy generally since it was first established? Will it carry out any assessment of need in the context of housing stock, with a particular focus on the need for social housing across the economy? Will it deal with the long-promised regeneration plan in, for example, Dublin? There was to have been undertaken a significant regeneration plan under the aegis of private developers via PPPs who subsequently collapsed. I refer specially to St. Michael's estate, St. Theresa's Gardens, O'Devaney Gardens and Dominick Street. Given the serious impact of the collapse of these planned regeneration schemes, will the Taoiseach ask the Cabinet committee to address this matter and to report to him and to the Minister with responsibility and that it would be reflected in the House?

While the Minister for Defence is at the Taoiseach's side, does the latter not also believe it to be important for the Cabinet committee to address what I sadly understand to be the now scuttled regeneration plan for Limerick? Some €1.7 billion was proposed to be committed to the regeneration of communities in the Limerick area that have suffered marginalisation and a lack of investment and resourcing over many years. I am referring specifically to Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St. Mary's Park, all of which are familiar to the Minister. I agree with the comments of the Minister, Deputy O'Dea, regarding that regeneration programme. He stated that it was vital not only for the future development of Limerick city, but for the entire mid-west region. Certainly that is the case.

Will the Taoiseach indicate that the Cabinet committee on housing infrastructure and PPP will address these serious matters? Does he agree that, where we are trying to create real jobs, these regeneration projects offer significant opportunity within the construction sector? Not only would they have considerable benefits for their respective communities, but they would also make a large contribution to the great numbers of people in the construction sector who have found themselves on the dole queues. Such an initiative in both of these incidences - Dublin and Limerick - would be of enormous benefit.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for referring to the Minister at my side. According to the correspondence I received from Deputy Ó Caoláin this morning, the Minister would not be at my side for too long.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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That is what we believe will occur.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We will make sure that is defeated and that the Deputy's concerns-----

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has some neck.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To deal with the matters that he raised, the question of the surplus housing stock we have and the need for long term leasing is an initiative that the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, has brought forward and that will require the full co-operation of all of the housing departments of local authorities to ensure that, rather than the traditional way of constructing housing, we have the houses available that we need to acquire. There is a lot of acquisition of housing going on. As the Deputy knows, there are different means by which councils obtain housing to meet requirements. This is to be welcomed. It is not simply the old traditional construction method.

There are also important sectors of the housing sector where special arrangements need to be made. For example, I very much welcome the fact that this year, over 1,000 units will be built for people with disabilities throughout local authorities in Ireland. This is an important initiative that the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, has championed. It is a very good initiative.

On the question of regeneration as I understand it, while everyone is clearly disappointed that the PPPs were not proceeded with at that time - they were dealt with and debated in the House at the time - the Minister of State was very active with Dublin City Council and the other local authorities in Dublin, which remain committed to proceeding with these projects. Clearly, the PPP model provided the best and fastest means for providing them rather than by their being exclusively Exchequer funded. However, the councils remain committed to all of those projects and are working through those issues as best they can with the resources that are available. It is not a question of whether something in Dublin or Limerick is not proceeding. It is a question of trying to ensure that we can get some private sector buy-in in addition to the commitments that we are making, for example, in Limerick this year, a total of €25 million.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach has suggested that there is some significant address of the social housing need. He must specify what we are discussing because I have noted that the dependency of the majority of local authorities, certainly those of which I am aware and exposed to, is on the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. This is not a solution. At best, it is a stopgap situation only applying to those already in receipt of rental supplement and in accommodation circumstances that require transfers. The RAS is not an answer, but it is what most local authorities are depending on. They do not have funding. They have been starved of the essential funding necessary to progress with social housing construction.

The situation is very serious. Housing waiting lists are not shortening in the majority of local authority areas throughout this jurisdiction. This is a matter that the so-called Cabinet committee on housing needs to address, but there is no evidence that it has done or is doing so in any way. The Taoiseach did not indicate in his reply whether there is to be any assessment of current need to underscore the reality facing many families the length and breadth of the State and to inject some urgency into Cabinet address of these issues.

I want to address my second question regarding the Cabinet committee on health. It could hardly have done so in respect of one report already, but will it address the Joint Committee on Health and Children's report on primary care, which was published last week? Will it also address the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on hospital emergency departments?

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy should avoid detailed questions. They would be more appropriately put to the line Minister.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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We are discussing the Cabinet Committee on Health and what it will do and address. Will the Taoiseach confirm that the Cabinet committee will address the matters raised in these two critical reports, one on primary care and the other on the absolutely outrageous and disastrous situation pertaining in several accident and emergency departments in hospitals sites throughout the State? Will the Cabinet committee exercise itself and impress on the Minister the importance of proceeding with the rollout of primary care centres throughout the State and the significant investment necessary to upgrade from their current disgraceful state the accident and emergency departments in many hospitals?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to housing, the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, is not the only initiative. There always has been a rental sector to help deal with local authority housing lists. In many cases that arrangement, more than others, suited people. That arrangement will continue and it is not the only means available. As I mentioned, there is the question of acquisition and long-term leasing etc. Some construction is taking place, much of it in specialised sectors to provide for the elderly and people with disabilities. The objective is to build community-based models of health care, quite rightly, for people in those situations and to give them the prospect of independent living, supported living etc. All of that work is ongoing. The Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, is committed to that area.

On the question on health, the Cabinet Committee on Health meets regularly, has worked through the service plans of the HSE and has been very instrumental in bringing forward the cancer strategy. I am sure the work the Oireachtas committee has done on primary care will have an input into policy for the Department and the Minister. There is a clear commitment to move to a greater degree of primary care and greater co-ordination and collaboration among GPs and other people in nursing, physiotherapy and the various care professions to work together. Many primary care centres have been set up and, from my experience, they have significantly improved the provision of primary care services to the people.

With regard to accident and emergency services, the central points are highlighted in the report. First, actions have been taken in line with this report and improvements have been made. For example, in October 2006, only 11 of the 34 emergency departments were consistently admitting patients within 24 hours. In December 2009, 29 of the 34 emergency departments were consistently admitting patients within that period, which is almost a threefold improvement. Second, a critical issue highlighted by the report is access to decision making by senior clinicians, that is, by consultants. The Minister has pointed out that, under the new consultants contract, we have appointed clinical directors to every hospital and that is bringing its own improvements and benefits. Consultants are now working in teams. They have an extended working day and structured weekend work. A key task for this year for the HSE is to have these features of the new contract fully implemented. That would mean responsibility to achieve the best clinical care and to improve patient experience at the hospital at all stages of care, including at the emergency department, would be shared by the consultant team and the management of each hospital. The report sets challenging benchmarks against which to judge the performance of emergency departments. The HSE's waiting time targets for admissions to emergency departments has been reduced from 24 hours in 2007 to six hours now. Since the data for the Comptroller and Auditor General's report were completed, the HSE's information on actual waiting times of all patients has improved. Waiting times from arrival at emergency departments are now being measured alongside many other criteria of good patient services. The HSE's service plan for 2010 includes actions to reduce waiting times, including-----

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Its plan is to reduce the number of beds available.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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-----more treatment in primary care settings and more use of medical assessment units for people with chronic conditions rather than trauma. While the report rightly points to an acceptable waiting time for patients waiting to be admitted, it is also true that 94% of patients who did not require admission were treated and discharged within the HSE's maximum target of six hours. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report refers to waiting times for admissions only and uses 2 p.m. trolley waits from January to May compared with January to May 2009. Some 87% of all patients at emergency department, irrespective of whether they are admitted, are seen within six hours. On 54% of patients needing admission get a bed within six hours. This has improved from just over 40% since last February.

There has been significant capital investment in emergency departments to improve both the fabric of the units and their capacity to meet patients' needs effectively. There also has been investment in the provision of medical assessment units and substantial investment in services that reduces the need for hospital admission, including primary care teams, homecare packages and home helps.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The HSE service plan proposes a reduction of 1,100 beds this year. That is not addressing the problem.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I wish to refer to the Taoiseach's reply to Deputy Ó Caoláin's questions on housing and in particular the Taoiseach's response on the long-term leasing arrangement that has been announced by the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran. Does the Taoiseach consider that is the best use of public money? As I understand it, the long-term leasing arrangement is one whereby the State will provide money to local authorities to lease properties for up to 20 years for subletting to people on the local authority housing lists. The cost involved over 20 years is approximately €240,000 in today's money paid in rent by local authorities for a long-term lease. Would it not make more sense to purchase these properties rather than to lease them on a long-term basis? If the public authority leases them on a long-term basis, it will have no asset at the end of the 20 year lease. Furthermore, the tenants will not be able to avail of the opportunity to apply to purchase the properties under a tenant purchase scheme as they would if they were living in local authority dwellings. I understand the local authority construction programme is being wound down.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is going into detail.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I know I am but I am responding to the Taoiseach's reply to Deputy Ó Caoláin and I am pursuing the value for money aspect of this arrangement. It does not seem sensible to rent long term. I do not know of anybody other than the State that would enter into long-term leases at present in circumstances where the housing market is such that it makes more sense to buy. Why are the authorities not buying these dwellings rather than entering into long-term lease arrangements?

In relation to the committees on various matters, which of them deals with transport? There is an issue concerning taxi regulation that the Government should address. The taxi regulator has proposals to bring in a regulation whereby vehicles used as taxis will have to be changed after nine years. One can have a car that might be ten or 12 years old and, depending on the car and how it has been maintained, it might be much better than another car that is five years old. I understand from full-time taxi drivers that, in the first instance, many of them do not have the money to change their cars. If they go to their banks, they will be refused loans to change their cars, which will drive many of them out of this business. They tell me that a part-time taxi driver with a pension, or another income, is in a better position to get a car loan from his or her bank. This measure will have a distorting effect on the taxi business and it is unnecessary given that these cars have to undergo an NCT and meet the requirements of the carriage office and taxi drivers have to maintain their taxis to the required standard. The Government should examine this proposal because it seems the taxi regulator has gone far beyond what needs to be done to ensure there is a good quality taxi service.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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On the Deputy's second matter, I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, and ask him to correspond directly with the Deputy.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I appreciate that and I look forward to receiving the Minister's response. The Taoiseach could be soon using a taxi again but, of course, he will get to keep the car.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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He will get to keep it.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Allow the Taoiseach to continue without interruption.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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He will not have to use public transport.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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The lads behind him will not be so lucky.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The man seated next to the Taoiseach could be travelling in a taxi very soon.

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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That is what the Deputy hopes.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Gilmore will not get as many scalps as he thinks. Long-term leasing is part of the housing issue. There is a far greater variety of approaches being taken by local authorities now in respect of housing need than was the case when I was on the council many years ago. It is all for the better because different people have varying needs and requirements. Acquisition is ongoing, with some houses on the market being purchased by local authorities. As has been mentioned, there is also a rental accommodation scheme and long-term leasing.

There is a range of specialised housing now available that was never available in the past, with superior specifications in houses in general than was the case in the 1970s and 1980s when we built big estates all over the place without a social mix. We then introduced £5,000 grants for people who minded the houses to move off and there was a further loss of social mix, much to the detriment of the maintenance and cost of housing estates. I am a great believer in social mixing.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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There is some social mixing on the Labour benches.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The acquisition of private housing is good, and we have seen it in community-based models of care for people formerly in mental institutions now being well cared for in the community. There are various means and methods, although the process requires housing officers and departments in all our local authorities to be up to speed and open to some of these changes. The changes could be tried in a far more energetic fashion than some authorities do.

Some counties are very good at the process and sometimes it comes down to personnel in Departments who have an ability to adapt and do the job as envisaged. Some continue on a narrow train waiting for allocations to be made and houses to be built. Others are more proactive and find far better solutions on the market which could be more cost-efficient. There is a varying degree of success in that which must be addressed by local authorities.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Taoiseach is correct in that there is a greater variety of formulae for providing housing, which is to be welcomed and which is supported by the Labour Party. The problem is that the Government, at present, is involved in a process of reduction. I am told that the local authorities' construction programme has been effectively wound down, with little or no local authority construction taking place. There were fewer dwellings purchased by local authorities last year than the previous year, with 900 bought last year compared to 3,000 or 4,000 the year before. There has been a winding down of purchase activity.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Correct.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I am specifically asking about long-term leasing arrangement, the logic of which I do not understand. This process does not give good value for money. Anybody looking at the housing market currently knows there are many vacant dwellings and unfinished apartments and housing estates, which could be used for housing people on the housing list.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Correct.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is more appropriate for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I do not understand the logic. The Taoiseach did not answer the specific question on the logic of long-term leasing when we could be buying the properties. Why would a local authority - or any of us - enter into a 20-year lease for a dwelling that we could buy for the same money? This does not make sense, unless it is a great favour for the people from whom the properties are being leased.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is a about trying to ensure we use the resources available to us to benefit the greatest possible number of users. If the authorities only acquire houses and do not get involved in leasing arrangements, there would be no opportunity to pay over a period. There would be up-front costs.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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That is right. It makes more sense.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Given the level of housing need and the variety of approaches adopted, none of which is exclusive from the other, if we were to talk exclusively about purchasing as suggested by the Deputy rather than long-term leasing, it would only be possible to procure with the allocation far fewer houses to meet a growing need on the housing lists.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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No, it is the same.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is not the same.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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It is.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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No. As I have indicated, the housing stock would be acquired over a much longer period. It is a basic fact that the capital up-front cost of purchase, if used as an exclusive approach, would by definition provide far fewer houses than would be the case through the other.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The properties would be owned. After 20 years nothing would be owned in this respect.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We have to provide housing need.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to put on the Taoiseach's radar the very important educational project at Grangegorman, which he appreciates is a major infrastructural project on which the Houses have already passed legislation to establish an authority. The project involves the DIT and HSE. I am aware that the Government in the recent budget allocated funds to allow the project to progress. It is a major infrastructural project in Dublin and is very positive for the DIT, which is already spending significant sums in trying to patch existing constituent colleges. Does the Taoiseach agree it is long overdue for the project to get under way on the basis that construction prices in education are down at least a third from where they were two years ago?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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This is a very important and ambitious project for the north inner city and there is no question or doubt about that. I have been to the location and spoken to the people involved and I commend them for the work done so far. The benefits for the DIT are significant in terms of reducing rental costs and being able to acquire a more integrated campus arrangement than is currently the case, where it has built up over many years various departments in different locations. That brings its own administrative and managerial difficulties as well.

The project is ambitious and involves not just meeting educational needs, as the Deputy noted, but also housing and social need in the widest community sense. The Minister for Education and Science is keeping a very close eye on the matter and perhaps a detailed question to him on its present status would be the best action for the Deputy.