A Fianna Fáil backbencher has told the Dáil that the Government should have honoured its election promises to improve the standard of school accommodation.
Mr Charlie O'Connor (FF, Dublin South-West) said he had received a letter from the then minister for education, making official commitments about school improvements. "The fact is those commitments should have been kept," he said.
Mr O'Connor rejected Opposition criticism that he would not vote against the Government. No politician in the Dáil voted against their own party, but he said that "even in times of constraint, we should be able to deal with developing schools".
He was speaking during a Labour Party motion condemning the Government for its handling of the schools building programme. Mr Sean Power (FF, Kildare South) commended the programme in place for school improvement, but said the Government had to take account of the huge population rises in small towns. The motion was defeated.
