John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

It is open to any school to make an application under the sports capital programme jointly with a club or clubs. As Deputy Deenihan will be aware, our concern is to ensure sufficient facilities in communities for use by everyone in the community. We have been successful in this respect to date. Since 1998, more than €470 million has been spent on facilities across the country and 5,721 projects have been assisted. We have had a beneficial impact in every city, town, village and parish in the country. We have touched young people's lives for the better in virtually every part of Ireland.

The deficiency or otherwise of sports facilities in primary schools is, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Education and Science to resolve. On the other hand, as Deputy Deenihan points out, it may be possible to marry the interests of the community with its local school. We have sought to meet this aspiration where possible.

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