Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 October 2004
162 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the chronic shortage of physical education and recreational facilities in many primary and secondary schools and to the health and social consequences of this shortage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26106/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI do not accept the Deputy's contention that there is a chronic shortage of physical and recreational facilities in primary and post primary schools. I want to make it clear that the policy of my Department is to provide for the delivery of a broad and balanced physical education curriculum in our schools and to support this with the provision of appropriate infrastructure.
In relation to facilities generally, many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are utilised for teaching different aspects of the physical education programme. The provision of multi-purpose space for primary schools will continue to be considered within the design brief for new schools and-or renovation-extension school building projects. This is being done in the context of available resources and the published criteria for prioritising school building projects.
At second level, again, many schools have PE halls, hard play areas and playing fields. It is the practice of my Department to provide a PE hall as part of the delivery of an extension project to a school where no such facility exists. A PE hall is also provided when a new school is being built.
In addition, many schools, primary and post-primary, use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.
In terms of resources, the Government is delivering on its commitment to provide modern facilities in schools and has progressively increased funding in recent years with an aggregate total of almost €2 billion since 1998, the largest investment programme in the history of the State.
My Department has never underestimated the scale of the task and the level of capital funding and other resources required to rectify decades of under investment in school infrastructure. The budget announcement regarding multi-annual capital envelopes will enable me to adopt a multi-annual framework for the school building programme, details of which will be announced as soon a possible after the next budgetary process.
