Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the steps his Department has taken towards meeting the commitment contained in the programme for Government to promote sport in schools; the work his Department has facilitated with the Department of Education and Science; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2270/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The five year Agreed Programme for Government includes a series of commitments, in respect of sport, for achievement in the period to 2012. I am pleased to say that action is being taken in a progressive manner in these areas to ensure these targets are met in the lifetime of the Government.

As Deputies will be aware, many of the commitments on the promotion of sports in schools are a matter for the Minister for Education and Science. However, two specific commitments relate to the operation of the sports capital programme — the promotion of greater sharing of school and community sports facilities, making it a condition of the sports capital programme that facilities be made available to schools where appropriate; and encouraging more schools to apply for funding under the sports capital programme by collaborating with their local sports clubs or community groups.

Under the 2008 sports capital programme, schools making joint applications with local sports clubs were required to provide evidence of formal agreements with local clubs that guaranteed the clubs access to school facilities for at least 30 hours per week throughout the year. In assessing applications, extra marks are awarded to sports clubs that can show that they are allowing local schools to use their facilities.

I will be discussing with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, how his programme for the provision of sports halls in schools and the sports capital programme might be dovetailed to provide greater value for money and enhanced facilities both for schools and the local community users.

Work on the development of a national sports facility strategy is at an advanced stage in my Department. The aim of the strategy is to provide high level policy direction for future investment at national, regional and local levels. An inter-agency steering group was established to oversee this work and includes representation from the Department of Education and Science. The work of this group has included discussions with the Department of Education and Science on how its policy on the provision of sports hall facilities and my Department's policy for the provision of sports facilities might be complementary.

In addition, the Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, has a statutory role in encouraging the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. Through the Irish Sports Council, the national governing bodies of sport and the local sports partnerships, there are many programmes being funded which aim to increase participation in sport by children and young people. I would like to take this opportunity to compliment the people who are involved in this work on the ground in introducing our children to sport that will complement and enhance both our school and community sport programmes.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Unfortunately the situation in many schools at present is that children receive relatively little physical education time. I appreciate this is primarily a matter for the Department of Education and Science, but it is very important that the level of co-operation the Minister is talking about is progressed, in terms of the shared facilities. It is crucial, given the current economic climate, that the facilities which are available are shared, and shared easily. A major inhibitor in terms of sharing facilities seems to be insurance. I am not sure what the Minister's role could be in this, but it is very important that this is facilitated in every possible way. Schools which have facilities should make them available to outside groups and also community groups with sports facilities should make them available to schools. However, insurance is one of the key factors that presents a significant inhibitor in this case.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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All Members will be aware of such problems within their local communities. Given the resources that have been provided through my Department and others in recent years, there is no doubt that the facilities available have been increased and enhanced enormously in recent years, and they should be maximised. There is nothing worse than seeing facilities being used a couple of times a week and remaining empty for the weekend, when others would like to use them. That is one of the issues we want to see resolved. We should like to see closer co-operation and co-ordination between local communities, schools and indeed local clubs to get better value in terms of usage from the facilities. We are trying to achieve this and it is one of the things I am examining.

Until one gets fully into the job, one does not always realise what is going on. I was at a number of venues throughout the country with the local sports partnerships, run either by the FAI or other organisations. The work they are doing, particularly with disadvantaged children, is remarkable. Having an iconic figure such as Packie Bonner involved in that programme and visiting schools has an enormous impact on children in terms of their desire to participate in some of these programmes. Where disadvantage and the number of young girls, in particular, participating in sport, is lower than we like to see, some really good programmes are being run in co-ordination with the Irish Sports Council and some of the national governing bodies. On the capital side, we clearly would like to see and will try to continue to get, more synergy between education, in its purest form, and sports, in terms of the use and maximisation of facilities.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I concur with the Minister's complimentary comments on those who are involved in this initiative to bring shared facilities to communities and schools. I want to ask him in particular about the swimming project at Skerries, which has been in place for ten years, with funding available from the Department, which could not be availed of. Will he confirm that the funding has now been transferred to the pool project at Balbriggan, an area which is sorely in need of facilities?

When the situation changes and the Skerries project is ready, perhaps he could look upon it favourably, once the economy has turned around.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is worthy of a separate question.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be a Minister by then.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am trying to be as flexible as I can, because I want to see——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As I am, myself.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Leas-Cheann Comhairle want me to answer?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Absolutely.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am trying to be as flexible as I can. The answer to the Deputy is "Yes", as I wanted to facilitate that. It was quite clear, within the area, that one project could not proceed. I did not want the area to be entirely without a pool. Quite clearly the other project was ready to run, and I thought that was the sensible approach. I must compliment all the local councillors and others involved because a unanimous approach was needed and that is what emerged from the local community. I am very pleased about that.

In the years to come we shall obviously be opening a second access programme on swimming pools, and I am clear——

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Less of the "we".

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Who knows what the next Government will be?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The intention is, certainly, to continue with that programme. It has been fantastically successful. To go from nothing to more than 50 swimming pools around the country is great and is having a massive impact. In the Deputy's area of special interest, health, the impact on children and young adults, as well as older people, is just phenomenal. We are very pleased with the programme and want to complete it in the next year or two.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Can I take it as confirmation that the project funding will transfer to Balbriggan?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The process is in place, and I do not have an issue with it.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I agree that the swimming pool programme is great. The tragedy is that it cannot continue this year, at any rate. The reality is that it is not 50 new pools, but nine. The rest were refurbishment projects. Just to clarify, the figure might be nine or 11, but it is nothing like 50.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am not long in the Department, and I have opened nine already myself.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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They may have been refurbished.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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No, they were all brand new.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister should go back and check it.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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If there were refurbishments in some cases, one could not possibly call them such. They were literally——

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am just saying it is not adding to the total sum of swimming pools around the country. It would be wrong to say that.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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——entirely new. I would not consider €15 million on a project a refurbishment.