Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

It is very clear that cutbacks and extra taxes must be matched by stimulation of the economy. In that context, I ask the Leader to bring the Minister for Education and Science to the House for a debate on the schools building programme. It should be obvious to anybody with the most simplistic knowledge of economics that, given the outrageous cost of prefabricated school buildings, the number of jobseekers and the fact that contracts can now be obtained cheaply and that the money would re-enter the economy immediately, we should have a much more comprehensive schools building programme. This would result in employment, economic stimulation and social capital in the sense that we would have a fine set of buildings in which our children could have a good education, thus creating a good future for the economy and society. This is so obvious. I appeal to the Leader to have a specific debate with the Minister for Education and Science on the schools building programme. Senator Healy Eames is correct in saying the Minister, a former Member of this House, is not in the House enough.

Will the Leader have the Taoiseach come to the House to discuss his trip to the United States for St. Patrick's Day, which I supported totally? The House has a right to this. The Taoiseach should be asked how he got on with regard to the undocumented Irish. Did he make progress on a bilateral agreement for the undocumented Irish? Did he advance the cause of those people, who are like fugitives in the cities of America and afraid to come home to family events?

Will the Leader assure me in his reply that he will have a very specific debate on the schools building programme and on the undocumented Irish? If he achieves this, he will have done a good day's work. The Leader is trying to make the House more relevant every day and having these debates would make it relevant.