asked the Minister for Education when his Department will commence the building of Nobber vocational school, County Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nobber (Meath) Vocational School.
32.
Responsibility for the construction of the new vocational school at Nobber, County Meath, is a matter for the County Meath Vocational Education Committee in the first instance.
The architectural planning for the new school is well advanced but at this stage of planning it is not possible to say when actual construction work will be commenced. The Deputy can be assured that, in so far as my Department are concerned, the necessary processing of the project will be carried out as expeditiously as possible.
Before the Minister took office the Department met the County Meath Vocational Educational Committee about the plans and revised drawings for this vocational school. This school was put on the long finger by the previous Fianna Fáil Minister for Education. I want this Minister to tell me today that this school will be commenced in 1982 and that the money will be provided.
I am sorry the Deputy has tried to introduce a partisan note into this matter. I am not conscious of any delay during our term of office as distinct from the term of office of my immediate predecessor. If the Deputy wants to talk about apparent delays I can tell him they occurred at a number of points. The actual process of planning the new school commenced in 1978. In July 1981 the Department issued a revised schedule of accommodation for the project and authorised the preparation of a sketch plan. There was a meeting with the building unit of the Department of Education on 4 March when certain design amendments and technical reports were requested. The Department are now awaiting a response from the committee in this matter. If the Deputy wants to imply there was a partisan element in the delay, he could easily say that was being done as late as 4 March.
The Minister should realise that it is the children attending this school who are suffering — at present there are 13 prefabs. I appeal to the Minister to give an assurance——
The Deputy may not make a speech. He may ask a short supplementary.
——that the money will be made available in 1982 for the commencement of this vocational school.
The Deputy has my assurance that all questions of educational provisions, including the provision of a school at Nobber, will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible and that there will be no attempt at delay, based on partisan or other motives.
I wish to have written answers to Questions Nos. 34 and 129.
I asked why my question to the Taoiseach, which related to the Fraud Squad investigation into Údaras na Gaeltachta, was transferred to the Minister for the Gaeltacht. You said, Sir, that you would consider the matter.
We examined the matter and the Department concerned said the question was more appropriate to the Department of the Gaeltacht. As the Deputy knows, there is collective Government responsibility——
Presumably the report will be coming from the Department of Justice, yet this question is being assigned to the Department of the Gaeltacht.
I cannot intervene in the matter. It was passed from the Department of the Taoiseach to the Department of the Gaeltacht as being more appropriate for reply.
Are you saying it is not your decision but that of the Department?
The reply comes from the Department saying it is more appropriate for another Department.
You do not have any say in regard to where the questions will go?
No.
The remaining questions will appear on the Order Paper for Wednesday, 28 April, unless Members want written replies, in which case they must notify the General Office this afternoon.
I would like to have written replies to Questions Nos. 37, 38, 182 and 183; all the other questions in my name to stand.
I want written replies to all questions in my name.
I would like written replies to all questions in my name, expect those down to the Department of Justice.