Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Senators will not think I am wrong if I mention some local issues in passing. We are all familiar with the Tip O'Neill maxim that "all politics is local". I ask the Minister of State to bring high into his consideration the plight of the people of Virginia and Laragh in County Cavan, who are waiting for new schools. They have believed since the last election that new schools would be built. They were told they would get new schools, but they have not been built. I ask the Minister of State to consider the projects. I am delighted that a senior executive with Cavan County Council, Mr. Geelan, is present for this debate. Protocol does not allow me to welcome him, unfortunately. I am sure he is anxious to hear the Minister of State give us a positive signal on the two schools.

If we do not pursue an accelerated schools building programme immediately, we will have missed an opportunity. I was pleased to hear the Minister say he is considering public private partnerships. Some such schemes are coming on stream. If the Exchequer cannot afford to pay for projects, the Minister should use the public private partnership model, which involves the release of buildings back into State hands over time. We should not have recourse to this model from the outset, but we should use it if the alternative is to leave children in primitive conditions.

I was heartened to hear the Minister say he intends to revisit the summer works scheme. I am not sure he gave us a sufficient assurance in that regard, however. Perhaps the Minister of State will make it clear that new applications will be accepted for 2009, in addition to those which were made in respect of 2008. The summer works scheme represents good economics. A stitch in time saves nine. If one uses the summer works scheme to fix a problem that is threatening the structure of the school, one will save money in the long run if one succeeds in preserving the building.

I ask the Minister of State to make a new attempt to achieve a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. This is necessary in the interests of economic progress, the quality of life of our people and the need to integrate our immigrant population. It is a tragedy that the pupil-teacher ratio reduction scheme has been put on hold. It is a false economy, false social planning and false thinking. It needs to be addressed as a priority.

I will conclude with a final point. I appreciate the indulgence of the Chair. It is critical that we consider pumping more money into teaching English to our new immigrants. I do not think that has been sufficiently identified as an issue. Our strategy should be to provide for further investment. If we could get immigrants to speak English, the benefit to this country in social and economic terms would well merit the investment. I thank the Chair for allowing me to speak. I anxiously await the Minister of State's responses to the specific matters I have raised.