Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Terry mentioned the €30 million needed for Coláiste Mhuire. I heard the debate on the radio on this matter. I do not wish to dictate to the Senator, but it would be ideal for the Adjournment because she could ask a Minister to sort out the problem. For the sake of the children attending the school, I hope this can be achieved.

Senator Ulick Burke asked about the deadlock between the Minister for Education and Science and the ASTI over supervision and substitution. I inquired about this myself out of interest – once a teacher, always a teacher. I understand that the impasse concerns the interpretation of "on call"– on call for a limited period or on call constantly. The TUI managed to resolve this and we should look to how the system is working in the community colleges and the community schools in which TUI members work. I agree with the Senator that it should be settled quickly. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will be here at some time today and the Senator may address his other point to him then.

Senator Bannon mentioned the ferrying of CIE drivers by taxi from Dublin to Longford. It would be useful to mention this to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, on the Adjournment because it is a discrete issue. Senator Browne also offered his congratulations to the ESB and wondered when something will be done about establishing a national driver testing agency. I regret that I did not reply to the Senator last week about the release of prisoners under the Good Friday Agreement. I do not know what kind of criminal background these people have but the release of prisoners was covered by legislation under the Agreement which must have been passed by this House.

Senator Phelan asked about elderly single men living in prefabs. This was also covered on a particular programme on which I appeared. There appears to be a growing number of these men, who are very far down on local authority housing lists due to their single status. That is a matter for the Minister for the Environment and Local Government and also for the local authorities themselves, who have a certain freedom as long as they allocate so many houses to the elderly, so many to families and so on.