Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the Minister for Education and skills on taking rapid action at Adrgillan College. I know that some of the Leader's colleagues are in the constituency. The question on my mind is whether we will pay for the mistakes of the Celtic tiger era a second time, as we find ourselves tearing apart brand new schools, or schools less than ten years old in order to repair structural faults. I was delighted to hear the Minister say this morning that the cost of the work will be subject to litigation that will take place in due course. I compliment Mr. Paddy Lavelle, chief executive officer of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board, on taking rapid action and keeping the safety of students and teachers foremost in his mind in making a decision to close part of the school. As the Leader knows, being a teacher, this is a serious decision. We do not close schools or parts of them very easily. It was rapid action on the part of the Minister and the CEO who are to be commended and complimented.

I cannot let this session pass without discussing the Defence Fores. Recently the Minister of State with responsibility for defence matters told us that the Public Sector Pay Commission would meet on 23 October with a view to releasing in the first quarter of 2019 a report on the issue of Defence Forces pay. I cannot pre-empt what the commission will find, but there is an awful lot more wrong in the Defence Forces.The time has come for an assessment of the entire structure of the Defence Forces to be carried out by an independent auditor, preferably from outside the State, who would have no axe to grind with anybody. That would be in the interests of the Minister of State and the Defence Forces and it needs to happen urgently.

I ask the Leader for his assistance in examining the way by which the blind pension tax credit might be extended to people suffering from hearing loss. They endure many of the same disabilities as those who are blind and I would like to see them avail of the same tax credit. I am not talking about my hearing as I am not profoundly deaf, but I would like the tax credit to be extended to those who are.