asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the fact that at a recent meeting of the County Donegal Vocational Education Committee a member stated that his Department were responsible for the slowing-up of the school building programme with particular reference to Carndonagh Technical School; if so, if the member's conclusion is correct; and if he will explain the undue delay in relation to the Carndonagh school.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Carndonagh (Donegal) Technical School.
124.
There are no proposals at present before my Department for extension to the vocational school at Carndonagh, and there is no record in the official minutes of recent meetings of the County Donegal Vocational Education Committee, as supplied to my Department, of the statement referred to in the question.
This member categorically stated that the Department of Education were purposely holding up the plans for this vocational school. Would the Minister accept my word on that? It was reported in the press.
That a member ——?
That a member of the Donegal Vocational Education Committee stated that the Minister's Department were purposely holding up the plans for the vocational school at Carndonagh and, indeed, generalised the statement in relation to all vocational schools in Donegal.
Has the Deputy a question to put?
I am asking the Minister will he accept my word.
It would not be unusual if somebody criticised somebody else at a meeting. I am not denying that it happened. The vocational school at Carndonagh was built in 1959 and subsequently extended by the addition of two classrooms and my information from the Department is that, since the extension was carried out in 1963, no proposals for any further extension were received. So it would not be reasonable to criticise the Department of Education if there is any hold up of any proposed plans from Carndonagh that have not come to Dublin.
Therefore, the Minister denies that the member's remarks were correct. Is that so?
I am not aware of any member's remarks.
I will bring the Minister into the picture. The member who said this was no other than the Chairman of the Donegal County Council and a Fianna Fáil Deputy—Deputy Cunningham.
The Deputy is giving information, not asking for information.
He is asking if Deputy Cunningham was telling the truth.
When a Fianna Fáil Deputy makes a statement in Donegal, he should answer a question in relation to it in this House.
The Deputy is trying to make trouble.
Did Deputy Harte back me up?
I want to know whether he was telling the truth.
I do not know. We will have to find out if the Deputy is telling the truth first.
I assure the Minister. I will pass him on a copy of the press cutting.
The position is that as regards the Carndonagh school there are no proposals at all in the Department from the Donegal Vocational Education Committee.
Therefore, the Minister's statement is correct. I accept it if he tells me so.
That is in relation to Carndonagh. I am not accepting anything the Deputy says about people making statements because I have not any evidence.
Is there a hold-up in the Department?
In relation to——?
Vocational schools in Donegal.
Carndonagh was the one mentioned—no.
Vocational schools.
There may be others.
Does the Minister accept that it is his Department that is holding them back?
Holding back what?
Holding back the building of vocational schools in Donegal?
It is Carndonagh that I have information about.