Several people referred to the delivery of housing. It is important to note that in the context of the delivery of student apartments, over 2,600 bed units have been provided in the past 18 months. Another 5,000 are under construction and the target is 21,000 units by 2024. This will remove approximately 5,000 houses from student accommodation and make them available to those working or families. The delivery of social housing is occurring but I accept that delivery is not fast enough. We seem to have a problem with procedures right across the system, from agreeing that social housing should be built to navigating the planning process to proceeding to commencement and on to getting the work done. The position needs to be reviewed. Last Thursday, I attended a launch in my former local authority area in respect of the completion of 52 new houses and the turning of the sod regarding construction of a further 47. That is just one of nine ongoing projects in Cork city. The last time I had a Commencement matter on this issue, the Minister announced the provision of €39 million in funding for seven different projects involving the construction of 134 houses. That was a welcome development. I make no apologies for bringing the Minister in and ensuring that projects are followed up on. Local authority members and management, the Department and the Minister all have a part to play in that regard.

When the downturn hit the construction industry, there was a significant loss of jobs. Between 2008 and 2011, over 200,000 jobs were lost. We are now back to having full employment. We have a problem in the sense that the construction industry has not returned to the same level of production, however.

Our challenge is to ensure we have an adequate number of people with the skills and expertise necessary to increase the level of construction. This is a challenge we need to consider. It might be worth bringing the Minister to the House for a debate. Let us be positive, in that the jobs have been created here in other areas and we need to consider the challenge in the construction industry and how we can bring in the people with the relevant skills and how we can get the private sector moving at a far faster pace. We must also examine how we are currently delivering local authority and social housing.

I also wish to raise one area of the 2040 national development project, namely, the healthcare sector. Last week, the Department of Education and Skills announced plans for the building of new schools and it will set out the programme for the next four to five years. An important issue in the health service concerns me. Under the last Government, by which I mean the Administration prior to 2011, it took more than 25 years before the children's hospital was even started. I am concerned that we have set up a clear programme for the building of new hospitals. We need to bring the Minister for Health before the House to set out how this programme regarding the building of new hospitals and the new healthcare facilities will be implemented, the timeline in each case and a clear programme of action. I am concerned that it may fall between two stools, that is, between the Department of Health, the HSE, local authorities and so on. It is something we need to look at and something on which we should hold a debate.

I also want to address the school builds. I will ask for the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House, if not tomorrow then early next week. I second Senator Grace O'Sullivan in this regard. I have significant concerns about promises being made that seem impossible. Last week, while the schools were on holiday, an announcement was made that a large number of new schools, 42 of them, would be built across the country.

The schools were open last week.

The schools were on Easter holidays the week before last.

They were back last week.

Well, the week before that. Many of them were on Easter holiday.

I ask the Leader not to antagonise the speaker.

I am just giving information to the House.

Some 42 schools were announced.

The Leader's can assist when he replies, he should not interrupt others.

What about the schools that are incomplete? What about the 30% increase in the use of prefabs between 2015 and 2017? I am sure that the Leader will address that now. Good schools are surviving in substandard accommodation and it is not good enough. The current school building programme is not keeping up with demand. This led to a massive increase in the use of prefab classrooms.

You were in power.

Yes, I have the figures.

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, promised to construct new schools but at the same time deferred vital building works aimed at reducing the need for prefabs. This needs to be addressed. A message was being given that there is a commitment to finish long-promised plans for schools, for the prefabs to be finished and for there to be new classrooms. However, there is no action whatever. For example, in Carlow we are told that two long-promised schools are 90% complete but they sit idle. These schools were being built by Carillion and the Sammon Group. With 90% of the work done, the works have stopped. The Minister has said there will be a review. I ask that he come before the House and that he ensure there is a review and that these works are finished urgently.

Subcontractors are deeply concerned about money and work, parents are concerned about their children's destination and pupils who are finishing primary school and want to attend the new second level in Carlow, Tyndall College, are worried about more than their entrance examination. Moreover, staff are worried about the environment in which they are forced to teach. It is a mess which needs to be sorted. There needs to be clarity on this before promises of more schools for more students are made. I once again call on the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House tomorrow or early next week to clarify these issues, especially in respect of prefabs.

I thank the Senator.

A school in Bagenalstown has been promised a sports hall for years and is still waiting. It has nearly 700 pupils. Many other works remain to be done and we need to get them finished. It is great to see new schools being built but the Minister also needs to deliver on his commitments to the other schools on which he is not delivering.

It is rhetoric.

If the Senator is concerned, her party can always put them out of power and go to the people and see how that goes.