Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will consider providing financial assistance to communities to meet the costs of insurance, supervision, heating, lighting and so on, of parochial halls and schools during out of school hours in parishes to provide young persons with a viable social alternative to the public house. [23067/05]

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, adult education courses or as somewhere for local community groups to meet — provided this 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 hives of local activity.

However, the State does not own the vast majority, more than 95%, of our schools. 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.

There is no doubt that are benefits for both the community and the school of enabling access to school facilities outside of school hours. While the advantages for the community are obvious, benefits for the school include increased willingness of local groups to provide placement for work experience or outlets for community service. Before permitting after-hours use, school authorities should be satisfied that adequate insurance is in place to cover the activities in question and that the proposed use does not interfere in any way with the delivery of education in the school.

Schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of schools, including heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, painting, teaching aids and other miscellaneous charges. The costs incurred while the premises are being used outside of school hours should be recouped by the school from the groups hiring or otherwise availing of the facilities.

Regarding funding available, in particular, to child care providers who may, by local agreement, use school facilities, the Deputy should be aware of the funding announced by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform last week that child care providers may access.

My Department's role would be in the area of support for youth clubs when providing young people with positive social outlets. Funding is provided to youth clubs under the local youth clubs grant scheme, which is administered by the vocational education committees. The purpose of these grants is to assist youth clubs in meeting the ongoing costs of their activities such as insurance, maintenance costs, etc., and to aid special youth work initiatives, particularly those aimed at disadvantaged young people.