asked the Minister for Education how long he expects his survey of post primary education needs to take; and if all school building must cease until the end of this period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Primary Education Needs.
66.
The greater part of the basic information has been collected. The collating and processing of this information is proceeding as quickly as possible but will take some time to complete.
I can also assure the Deputy that in the meantime school building will continue. As particular areas are surveyed and post-primary needs established, building projects will be sanctioned in these areas.
Is it to be inferred from what the Minister has said that vocational education committees can proceed to plan the building of schools in various areas, where it is only too obvious that they should be built, or are they to cease that sort of work altogether until he has his findings ?
No, but they are to go ahead with the planning.
There is not any money.
Even though it involves costs of consultants and that sort of thing that may be a complete loss afterwards ?
Yes, because in the kind of case Deputy Clinton has mentioned, the result of the survey may be that the committee would be told to extend the school.
What the Minister has said is certainly at variance with facts, so far as we are concerned in Westmeath. We have already been refused sanction in respect of Tyrrellspass and Ballynacargy schools and in respect of the work of extension at Mullingar technical school which was turned down in a letter from the Minister a month ago.
This is not a supplementary question.
The Minister has said that school building will continue in the meantime.
The Deputy may not stand up and attach a speech to an answer given to a question.
I am saying that the answer is at variance with the facts so far as I know them.
That is not a question.
Then I shall say: Is it not at variance with the reply given to Westmeath County Council in respect of schools at Tyrrellspass and Ballynacargy and the extension to Mullingar technical school ?
Certainly not. If the Deputy had paid a little more attention to the answer instead of thinking out the supplementary question he might not have put it at all. As the survey is being completed in respect of different areas, when the needs are established, sanction is given in those areas. That has not happened in the case of the schools the Deputy has mentioned.
The Minister said school-building will continue.
Yes, but I did not say that all school-building in the Deputy's constituency would continue.
Could the Minister say in what county or area in Ireland it will continue, because in Tipperary, Dublin, in the West and in my own county, it has been turned down ?
That is not true. A number of proposals have been turned down, pending the results of this survey, but it is also true that building is going ahead at the moment and it is equally true that further building will be going ahead on the basis of this survey as soon as it becomes available.
We know that there is building going ahead at the moment because it started six months ago but none has been started in the last six months.
(Interruptions.)
Would Deputy L'Estrange please tell me when I may continue the business of the House?
Yes.
Thank you.
Like an old woman, he wants to have the last word.
I am waiting until Deputy L'Estrange informs me that he will cease interrupting.
When he retires from this House.
Question No. 67.