Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I thank the Minister for his response. To tell the truth, I am shocked just reading it. The parents' committee and the board of management received an official letter from the Department confirming that the sports hall was approved and should be on site within eight months, but there was a caveat that it could not go to tender until the mechanical and electrical designs had been approved. However, what we have been told by the Department in this reply is that it cannot be precise about when the project will go to construction because of higher competing priorities. This has realised our greatest fears. The project is now in the mix with all other projects and the commitments that were given to the school as recently as May 2007 are null and void. I am deeply shocked. I know this is not Deputy Gormley's portfolio but I ask him to pass on our serious concerns to the Minister for Education and Science.