Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta cad é an dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir le halla spóirt a chur ar fáil do Phobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [7206/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The project for Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair involves the provision of a new physical education hall and is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. This project has a band rating of 4.1 under my Department's prioritisation criteria for major capital projects. Once it has been approved to go to construction, it is intended that my Department will be co-financing the project with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. There has also been local community fundraising for the project. The next step in the process will be for this project to be approved to proceed to tender and construction when funding allows.

Projects are selected for inclusion in the school building and modernisation programme on the basis of priority of need. This is reflected in the band rating assigned to a project. There are four band ratings, of which band one is the highest and band four the lowest. Band one projects, for example, include the provision of buildings where none currently exists but there is a high demand for pupil places, while a band four project makes provision for desirable but not necessarily urgent or essential facilities, such as a library or new sports hall.

Other factors taken into account in the selection of projects include the stage of progression through the architectural design process, the need to achieve an appropriate balance of capital expenditure on a multi-annual basis between primary and post-primary building projects, the need to ensure adequate funding is available for the purchase of sites for key projects and the need to provide additional school places in rapidly developing areas to meet increasing demand while at the same time balancing this with the need to maintain investment in the improvement of existing school buildings.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for what he has said so far. The Minister has been in charge of that Department only for the last number of months and I wonder if he is aware that this campaign for a sports hall for Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair has been going on for 25 years, since I came into this House. I declare a personal interest in the school in that I am a long-serving member of the board of management. If we added up the cost of all the parlimentary questions and Adjournment debates regarding Phobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair over these past 25 years, there would be more than enough money to provide a sports hall. Month after month, year after year there has been question after question by Deputies from every side of the House.

Is the Minister aware that this is an all-Irish school with more than 300 pupils and that every other community and second level school in Donegal has a sports hall, and some have two? Is the Minister aware that according to a national survey carried out by a national newspaper in recent months 100% of pupils leaving this school go to third level education and it is ranked tenth in the country? It is a great school and achieves all that despite the fact that it has no sports hall.

I have heard the Minister's answer today more times than there are beads on a rosary. This is a unique school. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is providing almost €500,000 and there is a local contribution of over €100,000. We seek only €700,000, less than 1% of the Minister's entire capital allocation this year for school building. I ask the Minister to do the right thing. He has a grá for the Gaeilge. He comes from Cullen. This is an all-Irish school, and if the Minister does nothing else, will he allow it this year?

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Both Deputy McGinley and I have served here for a long time and flattery will get one everywhere most times but I fear Deputy Brian Hayes will say, "Band four", and I would be political if I gave the go-ahead for this project. I am very conscious that this project has the involvement of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which is prepared to provide 40% of the cost, plus €100,000 from the local community. While I do not have funding in 2009, I will liaise with the Deputy and others to see what we can do in the future. It is a very desirable project, I am aware that the school has an outstanding output and I will see what can be done in the Estimates for 2010 but, unfortunately, I do not have the resources to do it this year.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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With Deputy McGinley I had the opportunity to visit the school recently on my travels to County Donegal. Would the Minister consider visiting the school? I attest to the quality of the education there in a very peripheral part of the country. Would he at least meet a delegation from the school over the coming months to see what progress can be made over the next while? It is a very worthy project.

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, I am due to visit Mayo and Donegal in the next month or so and will ensure that school is put on my itinerary.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Beidh fáilte roimh an Aire.