Will the Leader ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to give us an update on the issuing of passports in the context of the increase in the number of applications since the referendum on Brexit? On another issue relating to passports, it has been brought to my attention that several members of the Defence Forces who applied for military passports more than three weeks ago - such passports are required in order to serve in Lebanon - still have not received them. These members - a sergeant and four privates - are scheduled to fly out next Monday as part of an engineering platoon. It is outrageous that soldiers who are going to Lebanon to represent their country should have to go to such lengths - having to contact a politician - to secure the necessary military passports. I would like to have a debate on the matter with the Minister.

I welcome the €690 million allocated in the budget for capital expenditure by the Department of Education and Skills. I am delighted with the allocation on a personal level because it includes approval for Coosan national school in my constituency to proceed to tender. The school has been on the books for some 16 years and my late sister, former Deputy Nicky McFadden, and I both worked very hard over a period of eight years to get the project to where it is today. It was on the list for 2016 but was subsequently removed. Several months ago I requested that the Minister be asked about that removal. I again ask the Leader to seek to discover how a school can be taken off a list. Fortunately, the Coosan project is now due to go to tender before Christmas, with many Independent Deputies jumping on the bandwagon to make announcements about it. As far as I am concerned, however, it is my announcement because I have been working on the issue for a long time. Notwithstanding the progress being made, I remain concerned that it was taken off the list without any explanation. I would like to know the reason that was done, whether it was the case that the previous Minister removed it before the election or for any other reason. I ask the Leader to raise the matter with the Minister.