David Norris (Independent)

I apologise for getting the figure wrong. This means that there is €300 million left to be spent with only eight weeks remaining in the current year. I visited the community school in Kinsale, County Cork, earlier in the week where I met the headmaster and his students. It is a remarkable and splendid school but conditions there are cramped. The school is on the list for an additional building. Why are schools such as this, which have fine staff and splendid students, not having their needs addressed, particularly at a time when €300 million in funding is going to disappear back into the Department of Finance? What is happening represents a real dereliction of duty. One of the reasons provided in respect of why €300 million still remains in the fund to which I refer is that building costs have dropped. Members on all sides of the House have highlighted the latter fact on numerous occasions and stated that, for this reason, there should be an intensive building programme which would lead to the creation of further employment.