John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I am a former member of a board of management of a national school and I have never seen more homework put into a project, if Members will pardon the pun, on the part of the board of management and the stakeholders involved. There is a contradiction in the Minister of State's remarks. He spoke about the Minister being unable to give a timeframe, yet he later referred to the fact that the Government has committed €4.5 billion for school buildings over the term of the national development plan. If that sum is committed, there is no reason a possible timeframe cannot be given.

It is a matter of urgency, as is obvious from the amount of time and effort put into the project by the local community. The Church of Ireland community is small in that part of the country but comprises a dedicated bunch of people. I hope they are not sidelined due to the economic difficulties the country is going through at present. I hope the Government will adhere to the €4.5 billion school building programme in the national development plan.