Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 May 1998

Vol. 155 No. 15

Adjournment Matters. - Roscommon Community Hall.

Mr. Finneran

I welcome the Minister to the House and I ask the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation to provide the necessary funds to the convent school, Roscommon town, for the refurbishment of its multi-purpose hall which is community based.

The multi-purpose hall which is available to the Convent of Mercy secondary school and the general public in the town has a floor area of almost 8,000 square feet. It is a vital part of the infrastructure of Roscommon town which has a population of approximately 5,000. The school is attended by 1,200 students and many people from the mid-Roscommon catchment area use the facility. The hall has been in existence 24 years and has deteriorated to the extent that the floor is no longer safe for use by the pupils or public.

I have an engineer's report which states that the hall has a timber floor consisting of sheets placed on batons and covered with vinyl tiles. The floor area is 7,800 square feet and there is evidence that almost every area of the sheeting has failed. The rows of batons are beginning to come through and are causing ridges on the floor. The condition can only get worse and the floor has become dangerous to use. In one or two areas there is a definite failure with only the tiles keeping the floor intact. The vinyl tiles have also lifted in some areas and have been nailed down. This is also potentially dangerous and could cause injury.

The engineer recommends that the entire floor be removed as no remedial action can save it. It should be replaced with a maple floor which should not be covered. Such a floor would last up to 100 years. I have investigated the cost of such a floor. This was estimated in 1996 to be £32,000. The price will have increased in the meantime.

The facility is of vital importance to the convent secondary school and a total of 15 clubs in the town use it. It is used by Roscommon Town Soccer Club, Roscommon Town Athletic Club, many indoor football clubs including the Garda Indoor Football Club, Roscommon Town Community Games, Creggs Rugby Club, Cherry House and other mentally handicapped groups, Roscommon Christian Brothers School, Roscommon Basketball Club, Roscommon Youth Club, the Irish Wheelchair Association, Roscommon Ladies Hockey Club, Roscommon Tennis Club, all the primary schools in Roscommon town and all the badminton clubs. That list shows that this is not simply a school hall. It is a vital part of the infrastructure and recreational life of the town and its catchment area. This facility is most important for Roscommon and the surrounding area.

The application for the last round of lottery funding was not successful. It is hoped that on this occasion the Minister will be in a position to grant aid this very worthwhile development. The proposal is to replace the existing floor at an approximate cost of £32,000. It is proposed to upgrade the existing shower and toilet area at a cost of approximately £6,000. More funds can be raised and £3,000 is already on account. A grant of £30,000 is sought from the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. No other facility in County Roscommon impacts more on young and old as the multi-purpose hall on the Sisters of Mercy grounds in Roscommon.

I recommend the project wholeheartedly. I believe a positive response from the Minister will be greeted with glee and thanks by the second level schools and the public in Roscommon. I know there are many demands on the Department and I know the Minister is totally supportive of sports and recreation facilities. I believe that, as a north-west of Ireland man, the Minister appreciates the severe lack of opportunities for infrastructural development in our areas. We depend to a great extent on sport and recreation. The hall was provided at no cost to the State and the opportunity now presents itself to the State to come to the assistance of the town of Roscommon.

I recommend this worthwhile project and I hope that, having listened attentively and investigated the matter thoroughly, the Minister will, at a suitable opportunity, make an announcement of a substantial grant for this excellent and much needed facility in the town of Roscommon.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

I thank Senator Finneran for putting forward an excellent case for this project. If he will bear with me I would like to outline some of the difficulties I am encountering at the moment before I deal with the specific matter under discussion this evening.

Sport has come to occupy an increasingly significant place in modern life worldwide. Its impact extends far beyond the playing pitches and athletic grounds. It has obvious benefits in promoting health and fitness and has a growing commercial and economic significance. Sporting achievements provide a morale boost for the country, focus international attention on our country and promote our image as an attractive place to visit and to invest in. Our high achievers in sport are excellent ambassadors for modern Ireland, typifying the self-confidence and commitment of today's generation of young Irish people.

In line with the Government's recognition of the value of sport and leisure in the physical and mental health of each individual, especially in the role they play in fostering a sense of community identity even in the most deprived areas, I have set goals for my Department. They are to formulate and oversee the implementation of policies for the promotion and development of sport and to encourage increased participation in sport and recreation particularly by disadvantaged communities. To achieve these goals I have set a number of key objectives: to develop a new policy framework for the promotion and development of sport and recreation, to promote a more strategic approach — and I emphasise this — to the use of available resources for sport and recreation in a sector driven mainly by voluntary effort, to develop a new holistic system of supports for high performance athletes,. . to help overcome the isolating effect of social exclusion in disadvantaged areas by developing appropriate sport and recreational strategies for those areas and to encourage the promotion of standards of good conduct and fair play in sport.

With regard to funding, I am pleased to state that I have secured a doubling of Government funding for sport, from £13 million in 1997 to £26 million this year. As the first Minister with responsibility for sport I am proud that this is the biggest annual budget allocated by a Government to assist development in sport.

The recreational facilities scheme assists voluntary and community organisations, such as that mentioned by the Senator, in the provision of improvements to and the equipping of recreational, leisure and community facilities. There is a provision of £9 million in this year's Estimate for my Department for grant expenditure under the sports capital programme, compared to £5 million provided in 1997. However, at the end of 1997 overall capital commitments outstanding under the programme amounted to £15.7 million to be met in 1998 and subsequent years on the satisfactory completion of projects in accordance with the terms and conditions of the programme. In addition, there were 1,400 grant applications on hand on which a decision, even with regard to matters such as eligibility, had not been given, some of them dating back to 1994.

Against this background I considered it an urgent priority that following the 1998 round of allocations a totally new review of the sports capital programme should be undertaken. I announced that 11 February 1998 would be the closing date for the receipt of applications under the existing sports capital programme. All applications on hand, including those received up to that date, were examined in the context of the 1998 round of grant allocations. Over 1,400 applications from sports clubs and organisations around the country were examined and assessed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the programme.

The application for funding from the board of management of the convent secondary school in Roscommon town, submitted in December 1997, was considered in the context of the old criteria. The school applied for a grant of £30,000 towards the cost of replacing the existing floor of the school gymnasium and upgrading the changing rooms and shower area. The estimated total cost of the project was £38,000. Having completed the examination of applications it was not possible on this occasion to include the school for grant assistance for 1998. The school has been advised that it is not among the successful projects and it has also been advised that those who are unsuccessful must reapply under the new scheme to be introduced in the autumn.

The review of the sports capital programme will involve the examination of the objectives, terms of reference and criteria for the schemes and will have regard for the emphasis in "An Action Programme for the Millennium" on the role of sports and recreation in combating disadvantage. I expect the review to be completed later this year and when it has been details of the revised schemes will be widely publicised. It will then be open to clubs and organisations to apply for funding under the new schemes.

From the details Senator Finneran has given it would appear the case is ideal for consideration, particularly as it is in an area in the west. The Senator has outlined that there are a number of clubs involved and that there is a wide catchment area, criteria which will be envisaged in the new schemes. I think this project will be ideal for consideration under the new schemes. I am sure the Senator will follow up on this project and will bring it to my attention again. It is the type of project which I would like to see carried out in rural areas and towns because it involves bringing together many facilities. I would be hopeful for the project in the autumn. I ask the Senator to ensure that the board of management has outlined the scheme in detail to the Department of Education and Science, where there may be an overlap.

Mr. Finneran

I thank the Minister for his positive response. I will continue to keep him informed and I will advise the board of management of his statement. We will work together with the school toward the refurbishment of the facilities.