Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 378 and 379 together.

The policy of my Department is to provide for the delivery of a broad and balanced physical education curriculum at primary and post-primary levels. The Department does not have details on hand on the number of primary schools without a general purpose room or a physical education room or hall. Many primary schools have a general purposes room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are utilised for teaching different aspects of the physical education programme. Many schools also use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.

Some schools are in need of additional accommodation to facilitate extra teacher appointments. In the context of the available funding for temporary accommodation, as well as the number of applications for that funding in the current year it was not possible to approve all applications received. As an interim measure therefore some schools have been advised to maximise the use of existing accommodation until my Department is in a position to make extra accommodation available. The need for additional accommodation at any given school is considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.