John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister comes from a county where the players are well able to stand up for themselves. The children of this country, particularly those at second level whom the Minister spoke about who are involved in sport, depend on the teachers and parents. They came in their thousands to the outside of the Dáil last week. These children depend on the Minister and us as Deputies to stand up for them regarding the provision of sports activities outside the school.

The Minister is in the educational system but I am not sure he is fully aware of how vital these sports are, particularly with team games where people learn how to win and lose, along with discipline. I do not expect the Minister to agree with those on this side of the House when we say the budget was botched but we should look at it a bit more positively in the sense that given the inequity shown against the elderly and the disabled, there was some good sense in rowing back on the schemes or changing them.

The Minister referred to reduced tender prices. I presume that will mean fewer millions of euro spent on prefabs. I appeal to the Minister, as a former teacher, to look at this issue particularly with regard to the provision of sporting competitions. Sport makes school bearable for children and in view of this will the Minister reconsider the matter? Unless this matter is revisited, teams will be pulling out of sporting activities.

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