Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader request the Minister for Education and Science to come to this House to discuss funding in education? We now face the situation where teachers and parents on boards of management at primary school level are to strike until they get the refurbishment programmes promised for the past two years. We are led to believe there will be further cuts in spending in this area. There are also proposals at third level for drastic cuts in funding for capital work. The end result will be that graduates, which we badly need in certain specialised areas, will not come through the system to regenerate our economy. There is an urgent need for the Minister for Education and Science to outline to this House his policy on funding of capital works in the education sector.

I support Senator Bannon's remarks on planning matters. I wish to put on record how inappropriate it was for the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, to use the facilities of a conference to criticise the managerial and planning staff in Galway County Council.