Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

It also means a school may offer dance or any of the other subjects on the programme. For this reason, it is important that the programme is sufficiently flexible to enable schools to use facilities provided for them. Pupils in Thurles need only walk across the road from their school to access a swimming pool. In addition, a new pool is about to be built in the town.

Schools should use all local facilities. The capitation grant is available to cover the cost of taking students to a local swimming pool. I appreciate, however, that not every school will offer swimming or, for that matter, hurling.

See this speech in context