B'fhéidir go bhfuil an tAire ag cuimhneamh siar ar an tráth nuair a bhíomar go léir sa Seanad — agus an Teachta Connor chomh maith. Bhí díospóireacht íontach againn ar rún a leag an tAire é féin ar son Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre os comhair an tSeanaid ar an Benson report.
Perhaps the Minister can recall a time when he, Deputy Connor and myself debated a Labour Party motion in the Seanad on the state of the arts in Irish education in song and dance. That excellent debate was totally depoliticised and we faced up to the fact that the state of the arts in Irish education was quite abysmal.
Would the Minister agree that in the intervening period there has not been any substantial improvement in the state of the arts in Irish education? Also, from the point of view of his welcome commitment to 24-hour vitality to school buildings, will the Minister indicate a finite date by which this basically logistical problem of school insurance can be overcome? As the Minister said, it is wrong that billions of pounds worth of resources are tied up for four and half months of the year, and virtually 16 hours of every day, and not used for the benefit of the community.