Vol. 326 No. 3
asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware of considerable disquiet in Castletownbere, County Cork, because of the delay in erecting a sports hall at the community school there; and whether he will now take steps to issue the necessary sanction for same without delay.
45.
asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans for the provision of a physical education hall in Castletownbere, County Cork.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 45 together.
In reply to a similar question on 27 March 1980 I stated that the date of the provision of a physical education hall at this school must be considered with due regard to the total number of applications received for such halls and the priorities which have to be established in relation to the selection of individual projects for grants.
My Department are at present reviewing the situation relating to PE halls in general in the light of the capital budget available for 1981. When the review has been completed I will consider the request for a PE hall at Castletownbere.
Can the Minister hold out any hope to the people of Beara on this question bearing in mind that there are 327 second level students in Castletownbere and that the present situation is so appalling that children have to change in the toilets. There are absolutely no facilities for sports. Would the Minister not consider that Beara being a deprived area is a special case and would he give them some hope that they can have a community hall that has been promised for so long, this sports complex?
The Deputy can be assured that this school will get full consideration when we are making allocations for physical education halls.
Bearing in mind that I raised this question with the Minister before, a year ago, and was told at that time that full consideration would be given, can the Minister do any better now? These people are as far away as one can get from Dublin——
A beautiful place.
And beautiful people.
A question, please, Deputy.
Can the Minister hold out any hope?
Did the Deputy not take a written answer to this?
No. Is the Minister prepared to give any hope to these people that they will have this indoor sports complex in the near future? It is not just for the students but for the whole area. There are no indoor facilities in the whole of Beara which is nearly as big as some of our counties.
The Deputy will be aware that I am the inheritor of a very bad backlog because no physical education halls were provided for a long period. I have started to build again. I accept the Deputy's plea that it is a very special case and it will get full consideration when I am allocating funds for physical education halls.
Would the Minister promise priority?
I said that it will get due consideration but priority is a different thing.
I am sorry to have to bring such bad news back to Beara.
