Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my predecessors who have spoken, I wish to mark International Women's Day. I am blessed to live in a house full of ladies and it is great. This morning, before I left home, I was informed how lucky I am to be blessed with two women and my wife. On a serious note, International Women's Day is very important and it is great that women are recognised. I hope that we keep going forward with equality and that more women are elected to positions in the political arena.

I wish to refer to 58 school building projects that were due to be delivered before the end of the year. Unfortunately, these projects are on hold as part of the roll-out of the national development plan. It seems that this issue is well known. I have not heard the issue being discussed too often but it is a matter of fact according to the relevant Department. I was quite shocked to learn that the building of 58 schools is on hold. I am aware that a school is due to be built in Enfield as that town is not far from my general catchment area, and I am aware that there are a couple of more projects. I am seriously concerned about where the problem lies and what will be done to fix any issues. For the Government, building schools is a high priority and additional school places are needed with the influx of refugees. If the projected school places and schools that were supposed to be ready for next September are not going to happen, we will be in an extremely dark place.