Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I sincerely thank Deputy Ó Muirí for raising this topic, which he knows is extremely close to my heart. He has years of experience of involvement, in his local community of Clontarf and beyond, in this specific area and this is a great opportunity to delve into it a little bit.

Since 2020 the Department of education has invested more than €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan. This has involved the completion of more than 1,375 school building projects. Government support for that investment has delivered real benefits. A recent Government decision has approved €210 million in supplementary capital funding for the Department. This brings the total capital allocation for 2025 to €1.6 billion.

The provision of school places, including for children with special education needs, has been a priority for the Department over recent years and this will continue to be the case. Nevertheless, the Minister for Education and Youth fully recognises the importance of physical activity and recreational facilities for students of all ages. It is important to note the provision of outdoor play areas forms part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school. The current design guidance for new primary and post-primary schools includes hard-surfaced play areas for both recreation and physical education activities. The guidance also includes provision of landscaped areas on school sites providing a variety of external informal and social areas to suit the learning development and cultural needs of students during breaks and before and after school, and for a range of more formal curriculum needs.

In addition, the design guidance for accommodation for pupils with special educational needs includes provision of external play areas with soft surfacing and especially sensory gardens. The Deputy has raised this a number of times, including when he was on the city council. The increased level of sensory gardens in our national schools is something we should all be so proud of. They are having a huge impact. My son's school just opened a new one and it is making a world of difference to every pupil.

To the Deputy's specific point, repairs to existing play areas may be considered under the Department's emergency works scheme. The purpose of that scheme is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. The scheme is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered. In the case of outdoor play areas this usually only includes repairs to existing play areas, but each application is assessed on its own merits.

Additionally, as the Deputy has alluded to, the Minister recently announced details in respect of the climate action summer works scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times to avoid disrupting the operation of the school. This scheme will operate on a multi-annual basis for a number of categories, including external environment projects, which could include the provision or upgrade of outdoor play areas. The new scheme opened for applications in early May 2025 and all applications must be received by 5.30 p.m. on 30 June.

Deputy Ó Muirí's recommendation has serious validity. I am more than happy to bring that back to the Department of education and thank the Deputy for bringing it to the floor of the House.

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