Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Two thirds of the reply was a stick and paste job from the answer I got when I raised the issue previously. There was nothing new other than the sensitive commercial information. The funding being made available to community halls by the Department of Education and Skills through renting out rooms in them is valuable because sometimes they struggle. On the other hand, there may be playschools or community facilities in the locality which are disenfranchised by having a school in the hall. Long ago we tried to ensure primary schools stayed open after school hours for community use. Now community halls are being taken over by the Department of Education and Skills for school use. We have come full circle. It is not a way for the Department of Education and Skills to plan to state it loves to hear everything is being renovated and facilities will be better next year than they are this year. This must be balanced as one must consider who is losing out. Do other community facilities lose out if the top floor of the community hall is given over to a school? I am not saying this is the case, but the Department should examine it before it takes over every community hall. I am involved in community development and I know the expense South Dublin County Council went to, which was grant aided by the Department, to provide a community hall. Funding from the Department of Education and Skills for schooling is different. I will return to this issue at a later date because it is not finished business.