asked the Minister for Education the name and location of the post-primary schools to be provided with community/sports hall facilities; when work will commence and be completed; and the estimated cost per school.
7.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Recreational Facilities.
6.
asked the Minister for Education the number of applicants for gymnasium sports halls in second level schools, the number and location of schools approved for such facilities, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
The schools at which I have approved the provision of physical education halls are as follows: The Donahies Community School, Dublin; Birr Community School; Springfield Community School, Tallaght; Old Bawn Community School, County Dublin; Bishopstown Community School, Cork; Cabinteely Community School, Dublin; Lisduggan Vocational School, Waterford; Moneenageisha Vocational School, Galway; Knocknaheeny Vocational School, Cork; Monaghan Vocational School; Ringsend Vocational School, Dublin; Donegal Town Vocational School; Mitchelstown Vocational School, County Cork.
Planning for the construction of buildings is under way but it is not possible to give a precise date for the commencement of the building work at this stage. I expect, however, that the work will be completed within the next 12 to 15 months. In view of the fact that tenders will be sought in due course for the placing of contracts I would not consider it appropriate to make a statement in advance in relation to estimates of cost.
The number of applications for physical education halls received by 1 December 1979 was 117.
Can I infer from what the Minister has said that no money is being spent on the provision of sports halls in the current financial period?
I would not say that. The position is that the provision of these halls—I prefer to call them physical education halls for very sound and valid reasons—was suspended in 1975. There is a big backlog and we are trying to get the best possible value from the contractors in the construction of them.
Will the Minister tell the House why secondary schools were not included in the list he read out? Will the Minister state when the backlog will be dealt with so that new applications can be considered?
All the secondary schools that have applied have been listed. They are being considered in the Department and we will have an announcement to make very soon on those that will be given priority in that area. There are several considerations, including the possibility of community usage of the physical education halls, that have to be taken into account.
When will the backlog be dealt with so that current applications can be considered?
I cannot put a date for dealing with the backlog because, as everybody is aware, the backlog is substantial. It is my intention that all new schools of a certain size, and where certain conditions are fulfilled, will have physical education halls for the reasons I gave already. We have physical education teachers, trained in a superb physical education college, and a physical education teacher without such a hall is like a scientist without a laboratory. That is my thesis.
Does the Minister expect the backlog to be dealt with in 1980?
I am not in the prophesying business.
Perhaps the Minister will take it up with the gentleman sitting next to him?
We will have to be nice to him.
Will the Minister explain, to satisfy the curiosity of the people in the school concerned, how it came about that the initial list of schools which he supplied to me by way of letter did not include the name of the Cabinteely Community School, which is now apparently to get a sports hall?
Am I to take it that the Deputy does not want a physical education hall in Cabinteely?
Indeed, the Minister may not.
I understand that Deputies Horgan, Andrews and O'Donoghue wrote to me about this on various occasions.
I wrote to the Minister about it on one occasion.
It was an excellently written letter.
I am curious to know what changed the Minister's mind. Did I change the Minister's mind?
No.
I wrote to the Minister about this matter also and Deputies Andrews and O'Donoghue did not get much thanks for writing to the Minister.
I like receiving correspondence.
Is there any special criteria which the Minister adopts in relation to the granting of finance for sports halls for community and vocational schools?
I will be answering a question from Deputy Horgan about that later.
Have secondary schools not as much right to equal consideration for sports halls and gymnasia as have community and vocational schools?
The Minister would so consider.
I hope he will implement that.
I am dealing with an area which has been neglected for so long but I cannot do everything over night. I am doing my best, as the Deputy knows. The Deputy should have shouted in 1975 when the whole thing ceased.
It has not started yet.
8.
asked the Minister for Education if the criteria on which sports halls facilities are allocated to post-primary schools will be made available in the Oireachtas Library.
9.
asked the Minister for Education the order of priority in which post-primary schools to be given sports halls this year have been ranked.
10.
asked the Minister for Education the criteria being applied to determine the allocation of sports halls to post-primary schools this year.
11.
asked the Minister for Education the intervals at which the priority list for post-primary schools seeking sports halls will be revised; and if the same criteria will apply at the date of each revision.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 11, inclusive, together.
Criteria for the selection of the schools to be provided with physical education facilities and ranking them in order of priority have not been formalised in the manner implied in the question from the Deputy. Accordingly, the matter of making a document containing such criteria available in the Oireachtas Library does not arise.
I may add, however, for information, that, in general, the following considerations are taken into account in connection with the selection of the schools in question: (i) whether construction work was currently in progress on a new school; (ii) size of school; (iii) extent of existing PE facilities; (iv) degree of community need; (v) geographical distribution of halls; (vi) site requirements; (vii) time of application (where application for a hall has been made); (viii) possibility of sharing with other school or community interests or of community or local authority financial support.
Will the Minister tell the House how, if the criteria have not been formalised, he was able to decide which schools should get them and which schools would not in a situation in which there was keen competition from a large number of schools for the allocation of these facilities?
By considering the factors I have already mentioned, by balancing one against the other and giving them deep consideration.
Will the Minister not accept that, in the light of his unwillingness or inability to supply us with the actual criteria and the rank order of the schools based on such a criteria, he is laying himself open to the accusation that the chief consideration involved was political and not any of the ones he has mentioned?
That is argument.
I would reject that completely. My business is education.
The Minister has not given us any reason why we should think otherwise.
I beg the Deputy's pardon. I have given the Deputy all the reasons why he should think otherwise. and he knows that.
12.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make a statement regarding the request of the Dún Laoghaire Vocational Education Committee for the construction of a sports hall at the Technical Institute, Cumberland Street, Dún Laoghaire.
13.
asked the Minister for Education the reasons for not sanctioning a gymnasium/sports hall for the Dún Laoghaire Technical Institute in view of the lack of recreational/sports facilities there and this school's enrolment in excess of 500 pupils and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.
The request of the Dún Laoghaire Vocational Education Committee for the construction of a physical education hall at their Technical Institute, Cumberland Street, has been noted for consideration. The volume of applications for capital allocations for physical education halls has been such that it has not been possible to include this school in the list of those approved for halls in the current year.
Taking into account the criteria the Minister laid down in an earlier question, does the Minister agree that the Dún Laoghaire VEC, in relation to the Dún Laoghaire Technical Institute, which is a second-level institution in an urban area with a student population in excess of 500 pupils, qualifies for such a provision? In that context will the Minister give it a high priority and give an assurance to the House that it will be eligible for a sports hall or gymnasia in the near future?
As I stated earlier, quite a number of schools will have to be considered. Of course, the Dún Laoghaire VEC will get full consideration when we are deciding the matter.
Will the Minister give this request the most sympathetic consideration? I understand that the Minister has met a deputation of teachers, parents and the VEC and I strongly impress upon him that by any assessment of the criteria involved this school is totally deficient in that regard. The school urgently needs that facility.
I will take the Deputy's urgings into consideration.
14.
asked the Minister for Education the number of vocational schools in the country with sports halls/gymnasia, the location of each and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Full up-to-date information in this matter is not available at present in my Department. I am having inquiries made from various vocational education committees in relation to it and I will communicate with the Deputy in the matter in due course.
In the context of the adult education organisers being appointed by VECs, I should like to know if the Minister would favour the use of these sports halls and gymnasia for the use of all the community?
That is a separate question.
The idea is that these physical education halls will be used by the whole community. Relating this to the new adult education organisers, I understand that some of the courses provided in adult education are physical education courses. I am sure the halls will be available for that purpose.
Where such halls do not exist can the central halls be used by people from outlying areas?
For physical education.