Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 482: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the policy within her Department concerning the approval of physical education buildings in post-primary and primary schools in the school building and modernisation programme; if she will review this policy in view of the exponential rise in awareness and concern regarding obesity; if additional funding will be allocated to the provision of physical education facilities in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18061/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Applications for the provision of PE or sports facilities in schools are considered in the context of all other applications on hand for capital investment e.g. applications for new schools; refurbishment projects; extensions; new sites; remediation programmes. All applications are considered in the context of available resources and the published criteria for prioritising school building projects.

My Department is committed to funding the provision of PE, general purpose and outdoor play areas in schools as part of the schools' capital investment programme. Providing recreation areas such as hard core ball courts; General Purpose rooms at primary level and PE Halls at post-primary level are considered an integral part of the design stage for any major refurbishment programme of existing school buildings — providing always that the site is of sufficient size — or where a new school on a greenfield site is being built.