Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the amount that has been spent on the schools building programme and on the provision of facilities. I also recognise what the Minister said about community facilities and the importance of the provision of sports facilities. I am looking even at a more micro level and I am thinking particularly of Loreto Primary School on Loreto Avenue, Dalkey. The principal, Fióna McKenna, has been in touch with me. The school is in a relatively small area with a playground on-site. It needs repairs to the playground and is having a huge difficulty getting the funding to do that. We all recognise the importance of play facilities and the important role that plays in a rounded education for any child. The danger is that if it is not managed on an ongoing basis and, more importantly, if the schools do not have the resources to do it on an ongoing basis small things get left undone, they get worse and they get dangerous. No playground should end up unusable because of dangerous facilities and that stitch in time does indeed save nine. The way we give the stitch in time is to give the schools the resources in a timely and ready way.

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