Senator Killilea has given notice of a motion under Standing Order 29. I now call on Senator Killilea.
Request under Standing Order 29.
I requested leave to move the Adjournment to discuss a specific and important matter of public interest requiring urgent consideration. The matter is as follows:
That the Minister for Education act immediately to finalise the contracts for the building of a new technical school in Tuam, taking into account the urgency due to the conditions prevailing in the present school and of the pre-fab additions to that school in which leaks and decay, from rain, occur in all areas of it and it is a serious health hazard at this moment to the pupils and staff attending that school.
I have given careful consideration to the matter raised by Senator Killilea and I do not consider it to be a matter contemplated by Standing Order No. 29. I regret, therefore, that I have to rule it out of order.
May I just comment please? The reception given to this request by the Department of Education is very cold and clinical and smacks of officialdom. I am not surprised that a Fine Gael Minister of the ultra-conservative type would be looking upon vocational education in such a manner. I want to say clearly and unequivocally that I wonder what the situation would be in any other part of the country other than in the west of Ireland if children were expected to go to school in a downpour of rain and sit between drops in their classrooms, and not to even ask the Minister for Education to come in here and be responsible towards——
(Interruptions.)
This is out of order. I shall have to ask the Senator to resume his seat.
I am horrified. That is a typical answer always given by the Minister for Education on the issue of vocational education.
Item No. 3.
The Donnybrook set.
On a point of order, I presume that the time allocated for the Motion will not be shorter than was agreed?
On a point of order, since we were to start at 4 p.m., I propose we should sit on beyond 5.30 p.m. If the Seanad wishes to debate this until 6.30 p.m. and then take No. 2 at 6.30 p.m., that is acceptable.
Agreed?
May I comment? Last week when we sought an extension of time on a very important matter, taking into account——
The Senator disagrees?
It is not that I disagree but in principle we cannot have it to suit one person today and suit something else next week.
There is no extension of time.
I must protest at the confusion that apparently is in Senator Killilea's mind. We are not concerned now with the time allowed for this debate. We are concerned with the allocation of time for today's sitting. I did not propose an extension. I merely proposed that we should take two of our three hours today and as was suggested earlier appropriately, sit through the usual meal interval.
That is agreed.