Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More flexible use of this infrastructure could release enormous potential in our communities, as Deputy Stanton has said. I can say, as a former Minister for Education who issued those guidelines, they simply have not delivered as we expected. The Department of Education now has to go further.

I suggest three things that should be done. First, the education and training boards, which are entirely within the State remit, should develop a best practice model of opening up their premises to flexible use in all sorts of areas such as childcare, youth work and so on. Second, all school patrons should have to provide, as an integral part and a condition of any application for an extension of their premises or improvement works, a policy on how they are going to open those facilities to wider use. That could be a very important nudge. Third, the Department of Education should work with other Departments to develop the campus concept with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media so that schools in our communities become genuine campuses of activities.

See this speech in context