Will the Taoiseach explain the emergence yesterday of a list of 400 primary schools that are awaiting refurbishment which have been put on the back burner as a result of the Government cuts? Does the Taoiseach recall that last April a list was published after considerable pressure and controversy in the House about the run-down condition of many schools? The list was published on the website of the Department of Education and Science. The impression that these schools would be dealt with was added to by the hawking around constituencies by Government candidates, Fianna Fáil Deputies and Ministers on many occasions, of letters which promised that local schools were on the list and that it would be all right on the night. Several Ministers were quoted as saying that the cheque was in the post. Now it emerges that there is no truth in this, that only a small number of schools have been progressed, that several schools on the INTO black list are not being attended to—

A question, please, Deputy Rabbitte.

Is it not the case that several schools that are deemed unfit by the teachers' unions are not on the list? Is this not a blatant departure by the Government from the impression given inside and outside this House? Schools, some deemed unsafe by the Health and Safety Authority, which are run down and generally neglected for years, were used as a blatant political issue. In my constituency, Fianna Fáil party candidates put letters into every house saying that X and Y schools had been approved. It was a lie because they were not approved but that was the impression given.

The Deputy's two minutes are concluded.

How does the Taoiseach reconcile the publication yesterday of the list with the promises made prior to the general election?

The Minister for Education and Science has made clear that the list of the 3,300 primary schools in the country which are at architectural, planning or construction stage will be published early in the new year and will be updated to show the position.

It must have slipped Deputy Rabbitte's mind to acknowledge what has been done in the past five years. He will recall that in 1996—

1998.

—when he had an opportunity to influence these matters, we were spending—

Last May the Government was promising.

Please allow the Taoiseach to speak without interruption.

The Government was telling lies last May.

I will get to May.

It is Leaders' Questions, Deputy Stagg. Only Deputy Rabbitte is entitled to ask a supplementary question. Deputy Stagg, the Chair is on its feet. The Deputy will withdraw the word "lie".

Withdrawn. It was untrue, deliberate.

That is the same thing, Deputy.

You can throw me out, a Cheann Comhairle.

The Deputy will withdraw the phrase "deliberate untruth" unequivocally.

Withdrawn. I am asking you for a—

The Deputy withdrew the word "lie". "Deliberate untruth" is the same thing. The Deputy should withdraw that phrase. It has been withdrawn.

What were they? They were election promises.

Deputy O'Keeffe, this is Leaders' Questions. Only Deputy Rabbitte has any authority when called by the Chair to ask a supplementary question.

The Deputy should support his leader.

They say that is more appropriate to Deputy Hogan.

The Taoiseach to continue without interruption.

I was just about to remind Deputies and Deputy Stagg that a few years ago we were only spending £38 million on this matter—

Was that in 1937?

No. It was 1996 and 1997 when the Deputy was in Cabinet and he had influence.

What was the price of a house then?

Allow the Taoiseach to speak without interruption.

Now in every year we are spending €173 million. An enormous amount of schools have been sanctioned. There have been 1,700 grants for smaller projects sanctioned this year and there have been hundreds for larger projects. Each primary school also gets capital grants and architectural planning has continued in the case of about 400 schools every year. The black list that was there a few years ago has been fairly well eliminated and every project has been dealt with.

All the hopes dashed.

Last May.

So much for the last election. I understand that what was happening then, particularly in Kildare, was that Deputy Stagg and other Opposition Deputies were going around trying to say that it was not really Government Deputies who had produced all these schools, that they had some part in them.

The Government can have credit for the one in Kilcock.

The reality is that we have finished hundreds of schools and we will continue to do so. The expenditure will continue to be high for the next number of years.

Deputy Rabbitte has one minute.

You are helpful as ever, a Cheann Comhairle. Sometimes I understand why comedy runs in the family.

Is it not the case that there is blatant queue-jumping going on? The Minister, Deputy Dempsey, is quoted in The Irish Times yesterday as saying some of the schools are on the list only as a result of political pressure. Why is there not a plan for the renovation of primary schools? Why can a school principal or a board of management not find out when they will be on the list if they are not on it this year, as they manifestly are not? Why is there not a five year plan to refurbish primary schools some of which are in poor condition while others are advantaged because there is a Minister in the constituency? I see the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is laughing again this morning. This is the first Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who has put the Belvedere boys off the streets. It is not safe to go on to the streets to collect money because of conditions on the streets.

Fergus Finlay's one liners are great but the Deputy is better off when he uses his own.

Will the Taoiseach address the issue as to whether there will be a plan and whether it will be made public and available to boards of management and school principals?

Serious efforts are being made to try to deal with the problem. The Minister, Deputy Dempsey, is setting out a five year plan, which fully complies with what Deputy Rabbitte asked, where all projects at all levels and at whatever stage will be set out in detail on the Department's website. People will be able to see exactly at what stage a project is and then perhaps Deputies will stop raising the issue on the Adjournment and tabling parliamentary questions because it will be clear.

Allow the Taoiseach to speak.

By pressing the issue, Deputies opposite are doing exactly what their leader is trying to prevent. He is calling for an end to political queue jumping and I agree with him. Projects should be listed and dealt with on the basis of priority.

You are the Taoiseach, you could stop it.

That is what the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, is trying to do. It will mean Deputies opposite will have to stop saying they convinced the Minister to do something and stop circulating his replies. That is what they have been doing for the past five years. We have spent €175 million and Deputies opposite have been trying to claim the credit for it but they spent nothing when in Government. Let us be honest, that is what they are upset about.