asked the Minister for Education if information on buildings and sites in the ownership of her Department their locations, uses and the future plans for them are in all or any respect contained within her Department in a computer based system; if she will indicate whether or not a comprehensive, easily accessible list, exists; if such information is not readily available to her; the way in which it is possible for her to make judgements, evaluations or decisions about effective use of public resources in their respect; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Department's Properties.
196.
Should the Deputy be referring to educational buildings which in general are owned not by my Department but by the conductors or trustees of the institutions involved, the Deputy may be interested to know that my Department have in hands the formation of a computer data base. Initially this will cover the appropriate aspects of the first and second level school building programmes.
I might add that such data base will constitute at most an additional aid to the making of the effective decisions which the Deputy refers to; it is not a prerequisite for such decisions which will continue to be made by reference to a complex of factors, architectural, educational, economic, demographic and social, not all of which can be comprehended by computerised systems.