Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Ar dtús báire ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Cheann Comhairle as cead an cheist tábhachtach seo a ardú. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the need, essentially, to get value for money in how we fund basic educational facilities in this case at Balbriggan community college. For background, this secondary school has a proud record in what is the fastest growing area in the country, based on the last census. One can meet pupils from this community college at the Young Scientists' Exhibition, on the sports field or at any number of artistic events and in our third level institutions around the country.

However, the fitness levels of our young people all over Ireland is a major concern, as has been acknowledged in this House time and again. I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Brady, has been working on this and understands exactly where I am coming from, as we worked together when I was Minister of State in that area.

The obesity report mentions €5 billion as a total cost of obesity related problems per annum. This must make us think twice about what we are doing in this country to address that issue. In Balbriggan, as in many towns, the proliferation of betting shops and takeaway outlets is screaming a warning at all of us in Government. Unless we can motivate our communities to enjoy being active, then we face even costlier epidemics of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in younger and younger age groups.

This is why I feel so strongly about the short-sighted plan to just replace the roof of the old sports hall at Balbriggan community college. As there is asbestos in the old roof there is a need for a new roof. A summer works grant is secured to put in a new heating system. However, Fingal Council has the vision in these straitened times to offer €500,000 towards building a new modern sports hall to replace the outdated one. This new sports hall would have a full size basketball court, changing rooms as well as meeting rooms and a kitchen. With matching funds from Government the 600 pupils and the wider community of 20,000 people in the town alone would then have a badly needed modern sports facilities and meeting rooms.

My debate here this evening is as much to do with value for money as doing the right thing for our children and the wider community. Let us be creative in our thinking here. Let us tap the dormant accounts funds, or perhaps the area partnership funds. Meanwhile I am sad to see that this has to date been seen as a grade 4 project, which suggests sports facilities do not rate as important in the Department of Education and Skills. This is a view which is out of touch with modern educational thinking. Our young people deserve to have basic facilities for a rounded education. I believe we can provide that in this instance is we look at what funding is available and then the best return for that funding. If we do that I believe Ballbriggan community college can have the sports hall it needs a give a good return to the taxpayer.

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