Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)

Seamount College in Kinvara urgently needs a new sports hall. I visited the school last Friday with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and we saw the lack of facilities that exist on campus in Seamount College at first hand. The school has seen a rapid rise in its enrolment in recent years, which is testament to the quality of education provided there. However, we need the resources to keep in step with that. On average, a student loses one full year of physical education, PE, per six years in school because of a 1 km round trip walk to the local PE hall in the town, which is very small. It is good that they have it, but I do not think from a practical point of view we should have a situation where 20 students watch four students play badminton in PE class, which is one practical example a PE teacher shared with us. It is high time something was done. The students have spoken loudly to us; they want action now. Their parents are anxious that this go ahead and the teachers themselves are angry with the conditions in which they have to teach PE. I do not think we can stand over students having to make a 1 km round trip in the driving rain on the Atlantic coast as being fair in this day and age. I call on the Leader to talk to the Minister to have this matter addressed urgently in the context of the next round of sports capital funding.

I also wish to raise the issue of the Local Link bus route between Tuam and Galway city via Corofin and Turloughmore. This is something Councillor Donagh Killilea consistently raised at Galway County Council meetings over the years when I was his colleague. There was an announcement in local media in March that the appointment of a contractor would take place on 20 March. That appointment did not materialised, however. There is major anguish among the local community because there is no alternative mode of transport in places like Tuam and Turloughmore other than the car. We need to provide viable transport routes for people. I would like a discussion with the Minister on this matter to allay the fears of Councillor Killilea and his community.