As the Deputy may be aware, 2004 is designated as the European Year of Education through Sport, EYES, the official launch of which was successfully held in Dublin in January. To coincide with EYES, my Department's published 2004 school building programme includes a number of physical education halls at post-primary level that can proceed to tender and construction in the current year.
These sports facilities are to be delivered under two programmes, the dual use PE halls under the drugs task force initiative and the generically-designed halls, which will provide the template for future sports facilities in schoolsnationwide.
Both programmes will be evaluated on an ongoing basis throughout the construction phase and in relation to the generically designed halls in particular, this will inform any decision to extend the scheme to those post-primary schools requiring new or refurbished indoor sporting facilities. Progression of the PE hall development project at Coláiste Chríost Rí will be considered in this regard and in the context of a multi-annual building programme from 2005 onwards.