Vol. 558 No. 1
452 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views regarding the provision of playgrounds by local authorities; the amount his Department made available in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and in 2002 to date for the provision of playgrounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23302/02]
Section 67 of the Local Government Act, 2001, empowers local authorities to promote the interests of the local community in relation to amenity, recreation and other functions. This includes the provision of playgrounds. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the extent to which playgrounds should be provided and to allocate resources accordingly.
My Department does not operate a specific scheme of grants for playground projects but provides significant financial support to local authorities through the local government fund.
