Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 697: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the use of schools after-hours as child care facilities and on whether this is a feasible use for educational facilities; the likely cost to the Exchequer of such a move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22163/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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School facilities should be available to the community outside of school hours, whether for child care, for adult education courses or as somewhere for local community groups to meet, provided it is feasible.

My Department issued a circular to the trustees, boards of management and principals of primary and voluntary secondary schools in March encouraging them to make their facilities available to local community groups outside of school hours. Many schools have an excellent record of doing so and have become a hive of local activity. However, the State does not, in fact, own the majority, more than 95%, of our schools, as most are owned by the religious. They are owned by their trustees and managed by their boards of management, whose right it is to decide on the use of school facilities outside of school time, subject to the terms of any existing lease on the property.

Before permitting after-hours use, school authorities must be satisfied adequate insurance is in place to cover the activities in question and the proposed use does not interfere in any way with the delivery of education in the school. Provided agreement can be reached with the board of management of a school on issues such as insurance, it is possible to provide pre-school and after-school child care in schools.

I welcome the funding announced by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, last week for child care provision in school facilities and hope that the trustees and boards of management of many schools will make the necessary local arrangements to avail of this initiative.