Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses. As a mum of three young kids and as a former teacher who taught at second level for 20 years - four in a private school and 16 in a disadvantaged school - I have seen the differences in facilities offered to children. On the Food Dudes programme, described by Mr. Neary, I saw the change that occurred when I, as a parent, did not choose what went into my children's lunch box. They made the decision and wanted the fruit and the vegetables. I thought it was fantastic and it has been sustained. I love the idea of the golden mile.

On the fixed playground in primary schools, which Ms Heneghan raised, the only issue is insurance. Other members have raised that.

My questions are really directed to Mr. Ward. As my colleague, Deputy O'Sullivan said, great things are happening but it is sporadic. What can we do to make sure it is happening in all our schools for all our children? Even in my own constituency I see one of those issues. A second level school is waiting 37 years for a PE hall. I have asked for an audit of the second level schools but have been told it is not happening. A response from the Department told me that where schools do not have PE halls, they have access to local facilities. They do not. Much of the time they are disadvantaged schools that do not have the money to pay for transport to a local facility. Frankly, I do not think they should have to use up part of their PE time getting on a bus to go to a local facility. If Mr. Ward will pardon the pun, waiting 37 years is not a level playing field. It is not fair on second level pupils. It rains a lot and they do not even have an all-weather pitch. I do not see how that is right at any level when we have an obesity crisis in Ireland. They are being asked to change in a classroom when it rains. It is mixed school. That classroom is their PE hall, with the outline of a goalpost painted on the wall. It is a huge issue which the Department needs to address. I do not understand the refusal to audit second level schools.

Mr. Ward mentioned that teachers should be equipped in terms of the requirements of the curriculum and these wonderful initiatives in the junior and leaving certificate cycles. If they do not have the facilities, it is very hard to deliver the programmes properly, fairly and equally to all children.

Ms Heneghan talked about the small areas covered with tarmacadam that are seen as the play areas. There is a problem coming down the road and we are not future-proofing our schools. This came up in my constituency and in the neighbouring one. Some 93 of 105 schools in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown are zoned residential. We have seen two schools lose their green spaces. There is no forward planning or future thinking when it comes to population growth. We will need more space for schools and green space, yet we even had the chief executive of Dublin City Council announcing last week that we should build on the green spaces in Dublin city. There is a lack of thinking ahead to protect the future. There is a crisis currently but we must also think ahead to make sure it does not continue. We must protect the green spaces in our schools and cities to keep our children healthy and happy.