Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

If such investment has been made, why did the INTO discover that 80% of schools surveyed in Donegal did not have a PE hall, that 70% of schools surveyed in Kerry did not have one and a similar percentage was found in respect of schools between those two counties? The University of Limerick in a study on secondary schools pointed to an absence of adequate facilities, qualified staff and timetabling as regards physical education.

I accept that lifestyle is a major factor. Schools cannot be expected to correct everything that is unhealthy or tending to make people unhealthy in society but schools have a corrective role. In this regard, they have an important function. Does the Taoiseach accept that this issue is linked to an earlier point Deputy Rabbitte raised, in that, if the speculators who flit off to the Bahamas and Switzerland at weekends for tax purposes stayed here instead and paid their taxes, as other elements of big business should pay equally to the PAYE system, we would have far more funding for such facilities?

What new urgency is the Government bringing to bear on investment in regard to this important sector of education that will show an acceptance of what has been said in the past week?

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