Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

This is a magnificent motion and I also congratulate the Independent Senators on tabling it. Much good sense about not making the subject of school buildings a political football has been spoken tonight. This has been the case all too often, particularly at election time. I refer to two schools in my area, Bunnyconnellan national school and an extension to the sports hall at Davitt College in Castlebar, which have been used as political footballs on numerous occasions. I am disappointed with the Minister for Education and Science in regard to a sports hall for Davitt College in Castlebar which has been coming on stream every year for the past 20 years. Prior to the last general election the Minister for Education and Science informed us it was on the way, but there is still no sign of the funding. I ask the Minister of State to bring to the attention of the Minister the cases of Bunnyconnellan national school and the urgent need for a sports hall for Davitt College in Castlebar. I am being parochial but this is a school of 600 to 700 pupils and it does not have a sports hall which is unusual in this day and age.

I cannot understand why the Department of Education and Science does not use standard plans for a one, two, three or four-teacher national school. The Department goes to the expense of hiring very expensive architects who produce extensive plans when a two-teacher or three-teacher school should be the same whether it is in Donegal, Dublin, Mayo or Kerry. That makes common sense but the Department of Education and Science and the architects employed to build all these different types of new schools do not seem to think that. One can recognise a school building a mile away and they cost a fortune in architects' fees. The process should be streamlined and simple off-the-shelf plans that could be rushed through should be used in order that extensions or new school buildings, particularly for two to five teachers, are not delayed.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to make those points. I appeal to the Minister to put in place a mechanism so that people can find out where in the queue lies their school project, whether it is an extension, a new school or a sports hall. This would remove much of the drudgery for politicians and for parents who are often very excited at the prospect of obtaining such facilities for their children, which they deserve. As Senator Joe O'Reilly said, people should have access to a website where they can view the progress in the queue of their school projects.