asked the Minister for Education when her Department propose to make funds available to build an extension to Portumna vocational school, County Galway; the current stage of the application; and if her attention has been drawn to the gross overcrowding causing hardship to teachers and pupils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Portumna (Galway) Vocational School.
13.
I am not in a position to indicate at this stage when funding will be available for this project. Stage 5 of planning, i.e. bills of quantities for the extension has been submitted to my Department.
I am aware of the overcrowded condition at this school. Indeed, I visited it when I was in Portumna. However, the rate at which the project will proceed depends on the availability of capital resources and on my Department's other commitments and priorities.
It is one thing to visit a school but another to fund it. What priority has Portumna vocational school in the Department as far as the VEC in Galway are concerned?
The VEC submit the various schools. County Galway VEC, for some strange reason, for the last number of years have had a great number of major building projects unresolved. I do not know why. Of all the county committees they are the ones who did not advance their cases within the past four years. I visited Portumna and I noted the overcrowded condition and unsuitability of it. I will certainly give it close consideration. Despite Deputy Connaughton's deep interest in the matter I cannot be more definite on the issue at the moment.
Will the Portumna people get money from the Department for their extension in 1988?
I cannot give the Deputy a straight answer. I do not know.
The straight answer is no.
I do not know.
Of course the Minister knows. She should not be making a mockery out of this House.
Deputy, please. I am calling Deputy Michael Higgins.
Will the Minister agree that there are at the moment seven proposals from County Galway VEC waiting for sanction from the Department? Is it not a fact that the applications were frozen for the past 12 months at the stage of planning they are at, despite the fact that this has not been announced to the House? Is it not a fact also that the Minister of State has stated publicly that perhaps one of these seven projects can proceed this year? Is it not in the public interest to indicate now which project she or he has chosen?
I hesitate to interrupt the Deputy as I want to assist him to elicit information but he is going outside the subject matter of the question. This is a specific question in respect of a particular school. I cannot allow an extension of the matter.
So that my question will be in order — is Portumna a chosen project or is it not?
That matter is not already decided despite what Deputy Higgins has said. The Deputy has given credence to what I have said already, that there are a large number of schools under the Galway VEC which for some strange reason did not advance plans in the past four or five years.
There is a Fianna Fáil majority on the VEC and they took them for granted.
(Interruptions.)
It is money they are looking for now, and not this sort of answer.
You were there for four years and did nothing about it.
You came down and told us what you might do.
(Interruptions.)
Question No. 14 please.