Convention reports and school prefabs
Deputy Ó Snodaigh seeks promised debates on Convention on the Constitution reports and raises school prefabs; the Taoiseach will explore scheduling the debates and says the Education Minister is addressing prefabricated buildings.
My first issue is a promised debate. The Government set up the Convention on the Constitution and promised that it would complete its remit within 12 months. I understand it did it in about 14 months. The motion passed by the Dáil setting it up said that the Government will provide in the Oireachtas a response to each recommendation by the convention within four months. The last report from the convention was in March 2014, a year and a half ago. It is not just the last report. There are four outstanding reports so four debates have been promised. It is an insult to those who took part. I urge the Taoiseach to set aside Government time over at least the next four weeks to debate the last four remaining reports from the convention.
There was talk here last week or possibly the week before about Longboat Quay and the need for an audit. Some of the responses seemed to suggest that there is forthcoming legislation that will ensure that there will be new standards and responsibilities. I have looked at the legislative programme and there does not seem to be any legislation that captures what is required. The nearest I could find that is coming up in this session is the Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill. However, the problem there is that it says that it is to provide for the implementation of the planning recommendations of the Mahon tribunal. Does the Taoiseach now intend to change that legislation to take account of the needs of the planning inspectorate and planning enforcement around Longboat Quay and other buildings that were built in that era and the need for an audit, ongoing inspection regime and a standard for Traveller sites in light of the recent horrific tragedy? Also, Taoiseach-----
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It is not a speech. I am asking whether that Bill, which is very urgent, will address those issues. One key area that has not been addressed to date is the issue of young people in schools with prefabs. Can I ask that an audit be carried out on educational facilities around the country?
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The promised legislation does not address it. The Dáil was led to believe it would be addressed but it is not contained in the legislation.
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There are other ways of raising the matter but not on the Order of Business. There are more people waiting to get in.
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The Minister for Education and Skills has already set out the programme to do away with prefabricated buildings that in many cases have been in schools for many years. She will make announcements on that in the next two to three weeks. The Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill is due this session.
I will see if we can fit in a debate on the outstanding reports of the Convention on the Constitution before the end of this session. The convention has wound up. We thank it for its work. I agree that we should have been able to discuss these things but the pressure of business here sometimes does not allow for that. I will see if we can fit it in before the end of the session.