Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I wish to take up the point made by Senator O'Toole with regard to the lack of transparency, which I agree exists. I have difficulty explaining to school principals how the criteria are assessed with regard to what schools should be listed and so on. I do not understand the process but, having done some research on the issue, I am pleased to note the Minister is upgrading the Department's website, which may be able to communicate further information in the simple way we all want. I sometimes think I am remedial when I listen to what the Department tells us about how school projects are listed in terms of need.

An important point is that the Minister is about to establish development area units. This is a good move which will identify where schools are needed and will link in with the local authorities. When I was a councillor, it was difficult, as it still is, to get information from the Department of Education and Science with regard to forward planning and how a county council would incorporate a school into an action plan. Co-ordination was not good, so I hope this matter is tidied up. Given that commuter belts lead to huge pressures on schools, these units would help to solve the problem as they would take account of demographic factors when locating schools. We need the information map on where country schools should be located. These are simple things; they are not insurmountable. Dealing with the lack of transparency would be a move which would be welcomed by principals.

We are in a downturn. Significant sums of money are going into education. We are trying to upgrade the building programme as much as possible. Teachers are not too unhappy with how the schools are working generally. I am out and about as much as everyone else, and let there be no doubt about it. I hear negatives and positives. My job is to try to get a balance between the two. The positives outweigh the negatives. We have some problems, and I know the Minister has noted them. I wish him well in overcoming them.