Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State. I have great pleasure in seconding this motion and will deal with certain aspects of it. The schools building programme is lacking in accountability and transparency. I undertook the survey to which Senator Ulick Burke referred out of frustration, having asked the Minister for Education and Science three questions on the status of schools buildings projects approved by her. Her refusal to provide me with the information sought suggests either she is not aware of it, which is worrying considering that some €500 million in taxpayers' money is involved, or she was concealing it.

I was shocked to discover that building work had begun on only 13 of the 79 schools for which approvals were granted. I was also shocked to hear the comments from principals who are utterly frustrated with the length of time it takes to commence work after receiving approval under the schools building programme. In addition, many schools have been waiting years even to receive approval. I am aware of schools in which a new principal was appointed by the time their application was approved under the schools building programme. When these schools finally got the go-ahead, the project design was no longer adequate. One school in Carlow submitted a new planning application at the same time as it received approval for its original application, which, after years of waiting, was insufficient to meet its needs.

In no other job, whether that of architect, engineer, quantity surveyor or whatever, is one expected to commence employment under the same conditions as many principals must endure. If I had been told on becoming a Senator four and a half years ago that I had no office and must commence a building programme, I would have laughed at the notion. Despite this, we expect school principals to take on the role of monitoring schools building projects. They are not architects or engineers. How much of a principal's day is taken up in dealing with the Department's planning section?

There must be an immediate change in this regard. Additional support must be provided to principals who are obliged to take on the task of organising building projects in their schools. It is unfair and would not happen in any other walk of life. When the Minister of State was appointed to office, I am sure he was not given a list of architects and engineers and told to build his own office. The Minister of State is right to laugh but this is what we expect school principals to do.

Ireland is competing globally for jobs. Some 40 million Indian graduates will shortly enter the workforce and will compete with students in Dublin, Clonmel, Carlow and elsewhere for jobs. We must ensure pupils are educated to compete with those people. The roll-out of the information and communications technology programme, as planned, is vital. I look forward to hearing about the comprehensive package referred to in the Government amendment. Will broadband be available in every primary and post-primary school? Difficulties in accessing broadband are affecting some schools, especially in rural areas.

I am told by Bus Éireann inspectors that levels of compliance in regard to the wearing of seat belts are unsatisfactory. In reply to a recent question on this issue, the Minister of State told me that a limited survey will be undertaken by Bus Éireann. This should be done as a matter of urgency. We must learn from the tragedy that took place in County Meath. The safety of drivers is also a concern. Children may be less likely to misbehave on buses if they are using seat belts. I welcome the Minister of State's assertion in his reply that he plans to install closed circuit television, CCTV, cameras in all new buses. This may help to resolve disputes. One such dispute is ongoing in Carlow where students, parents and bus driver are at loggerheads. This is unsatisfactory and difficult to resolve. CCTV cameras would be of use in such situations.

We must focus on the importance of planning ahead. Rathoe is a small village in Carlow that previously comprised only 20 households but for which there are now plans for hundreds of houses. I spoke to an angry constituent there recently who justifiably complained that the Rathoe area plan included no zoning for the expansion of school facilities. It is only logical that many of the people who buy these new houses will go on to have children who will require school places. Enrolments will increase dramatically, perhaps even double or treble, and an extension will be required to the existing school building. This will mean less areas for the children to play in. Similar problems are arising in Ballinabranna. There is no planning or foresight in this area.

Is there a unit in the Department that undertakes any type of liaison with the planning authorities either in the drafting of zoning or the granting of planning permissions? There must be some dovetailing in this area. We must avoid a situation such as that in Laytown, County Meath, where children had to be divided into morning and afternoon shifts because of a lack of space. This will be replicated in other locations. The Minister of State is more than welcome to visit Carlow and I will show him the rapid growth in places such as Ballinabranna. I welcome such development but I do not welcome the fact we are granting planning permission for hundreds of houses while doing nothing to increase school capacity. It is only common sense that the two should be tied together.

I defend the Minister for Education and Science on the question of course content in the teacher training colleges. I seriously question how relevant it is. I attended St. Patrick's College and studied academic French as part of my training. This was a waste of time because it was irrelevant in terms of teaching primary schoolchildren. The Department must examine whether course content in the teacher training colleges is relevant to what teachers require to teach effectively. It is worth noting, for instance, that we were not taught how to use a roll book which, Senator Fitzgerald will agree, is an important skill.

I am concerned at our vulnerability given that the churches own such a large proportion of school lands and buildings. We will be left high and dry if they begin to pull out of the education system. Religious orders are under pressure as their members get older. In addition, some of them must pay out compensation and must realise cash quickly. Has the Department any plans to deal with this issue?

There must be increased ring fencing and monitoring of funding for home tuition for children with autism. We have gone from a situation where the Department did nothing for people with autism to one where money is being thrown at home tuition services without any attendant safeguards. We must ensure that the quality of home tuition is adequate to meet the individual's needs. I hear mixed responses from parents in this regard.