Written answers

Thursday, 27 October 2005

Department of Education and Science

Physical Education Facilities

5:00 pm

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the primary schools in counties Sligo and north Leitrim which have a sports hall and a playing pitch; the schools which do not have this facility; and the schools that have indoor facilities to provide physical education. [31131/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However if the Deputy requires information on individual schools in counties Sligo and north Leitrim, officials in the school planning and building unit of my Department will be happy to assist.

The physical education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. 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. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.

The provision of multi-purpose space and outdoor play areas for primary schools will continue to be considered within the design brief for new schools and of renovation and extension school building projects. This will be done in the context of available resources and the published criteria for prioritising school building projects.

At second level, it is the policy of the Department to provide a physical education hall to a school that does not already have a facility. This is considered as part of the design brief for new schools and of major renovation or extension projects, within available resources and overall published criteria for prioritising projects.

The Government is delivering on its commitment to provide modern facilities in school and has progressively increased funding in recent years with an aggregate total of almost €2 billion since 1998, the largest investment programme in the history of the State.

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