asked the Minister for Education if he will outline the school building programme approved for Donegal VEC; and the commencement date in the case of each school.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal School Building Programme.
36.
Mr. R. Burke
I have approved the following school building programme for County Donegal Vocational Education Committee: new vocational school at Donegal town, extensions of Letterkenny, Raphoe, Ballyshannon, Stranorlar, Carrick and Buncranna vocational schools.
The planning of these projects is not yet sufficiently advanced, to enable me to state when building work will be commenced.
Will the Minister not agree that his premature announcement regarding this building programme has completely misled the teachers and parents? He has not the slightest idea when this building programme will be carried out, although he led people to believe it would be carried out last year. Is this not a fact?
Mr. R. Burke
It is not a fact and I should like the Deputy to substantiate that statement.
There will be no difficulty in producing correspondence to show that negotiations took place in the past two years because of the urgency of providing these schools but now there are pretentious procrastinations to postpone the building programme. This is well known.
Mr. R. Burke
That is somewhat different from what the Deputy started to say.
It is a fact. The Minister will have to make a clearer statement on the matter.
Mr. R. Burke
Will the Deputy withdraw his statement if he sees work going ahead in this area in the near future?
I can produce evidence in the next week or two to show how people were completely misled. In one case a Minister made a statement in Dungloe that the school would be ready for occupation the following September—that was last September——
Mr. R. Burke
The Deputy is deputy leader of his party and, in fairness, he should hesitate to attribute to me statements made by other people.
There is collective responsibility.
This is leading to argument. I am calling Question No. 37.
Mr. R. Burke
On reflection, the Deputy will regret the insinuation he has made here today.
I am not trying to make political propaganda but the situation requires clarification because people were completely misled about the building programme.
Questions must proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with Standing Orders. I have called Question No. 37.
Mr. R. Burke
I reject what the Deputy has said. I should like him to substantiate his statement.
The Minister has not given an estimate of when the work will commence.
Mr. R. Burke
I challenge the Deputy to substantiate his statement.