asked the Minister for Education if he will make a grant available towards the provision of a swimming pool at Ardee Community School, County Louth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ardee School Swimming Pool.
65.
Mr. R. Burke
I would refer the Deputy to my reply of 25th October to a previous question on this subject.
I have nothing to add to that reply.
In that reply the Minister stated that his Department had no money to provide this but is it not a fact that the Department of Education provided a swimming pool at the Tallaght Community School?
Mr. R. Burke
In reply to the Deputy's previous question I did not say that the Department have no funds but I said that the Department were not empowered and have no funds. There is a misunderstanding here, prevalent in the area of Ardee, particularly based on an inaccurate letter dated 8th May, 1974, from a local authority which said that the said local authority, Dublin County Council, did not make a grant towards the cost of the swimming pool. The council has since apologised for the inaccuracy of this.
The position is that the Department agreed, in respect of five community schools, to build a pool as part of a sports complex when the local authorities concerned agreed to make the necessary funds available for the purpose. There are no funds available to me in the Department to build swimming pools as part of these complexes. I take it the Deputy will accept from me that the information which was circulating on foot of the letter of 8th May from Dublin County Council was inaccurate and that the council has since apologised for the inaccuracy?
Was that information made available to the Ardee Swimming Pool Committee? If it had been it would have solved some of the problems. Dublin County Council should have sent a letter to that committee to the effect that they had given inaccurate information.
Mr. R. Burke
I understand that information has been circulated to the committee.
Do I understand from the Minister that the county council defrayed the total cost of the swimming pool mentioned in Tallaght and that the local authorities defrayed the total cost of all the other swimming pools provided for community schools?
Mr. R. Burke
I should like to have specific notice of that aspect of the question. My present information is that they did and that no moneys were expended by my Department.
Are we to take it from what the Minister has stated that his Department are not authorised to spend money on the provision of physical education facilities in community schools or any other schools?
The question being discussed refers to a specific school, Ardee Community School. Next question, please.
With respect, my question is not a separate one.
The Chair will decide that matter.
A swimming pool is part of the physical education programme in any school.
This question relates to a particular school and I cannot allow the Deputy to broaden the subject matter of it by making it into a national issue.
May I put the question this way? Is the Minister saying that his Department have no authority to pay a grant for the provision of physical education facilities in the Ardee Community School?
Mr. R. Burke
No, but I am saying that we are not empowered to make funds available for the erection of a swimming pool.
Is not swimming part of the physical education programme in the primary and post-primary schools of this country?
Mr. R. Burke
That may be so.
This is developing into an argument.
That is a most extraordinary situation.