Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Within the five-year timeframe, in the first year and possibly the second the allocation of money will be so impressive that people will really begin to hope. They will think this is a panacea, but if it were implemented over a shorter period people would just say the legislation was being implemented.

In this timeframe we cannot get going. If the pressure is on to deliver and there is a commitment to do so then that can be done in a shorter period if there is a willingness to do so. Bodies may say they cannot be seen to fail but the finger will be pointed at the Minister for failure, not the organisations.

It is unacceptable for people to go cap in hand for five years. We are told the money is in the national coffers, so why not move quickly if these measures can be put in place quickly, as we are told? We are not gathering information or reporting any more. We need action and if we cannot make this legislation active in a shorter period than five years then some questions must be asked. The consultation is all over and, my God, any member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science saw what it meant to so many groups who put across the urgency of their plight. What is stalling this for five years? It is not acceptable that the council or whatever organisation is formed as a result of this legislation can say that if it cannot meet the deadline of five years then it will be seen to have failed. That is a very poor response to people's needs.