Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the policy on recreational space per pupil in new and existing schools; if sanction from her Department is required to reduce such space for parking; and the policy on parking for teachers working in pay parking areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40978/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that my Department fully recognises the crucial role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve sporting facilities and in particular, indoor facilities. This Government is determined to ensure that every child is educated in a suitable and comfortable environment. Since 1997, great advances have been made in transforming school accommodation throughout the country, through an investment of €3 billion. This has funded over 7,800 individual school projects in the last seven years alone. Major capital projects at both primary and second level schools include the provision of adequate sporting facilities, providing that the site is of sufficient size — or where a new school on a greenfield site is being built. This extends to the provision of both PE halls/GP areas and the provision of hard play areas and where site conditions allow playing pitches.

A comprehensive equipment schedule is included in the funding package for such facilities, ranging from table-tennis sets to netball and indoor soccer equipment.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that earlier this month I announced a special €6.5m package for primary schools to renew PE equipment. This funding has issued to all 3,200 primary schools. Under the package, every school received €2,000 towards the cost of replacing and upgrading PE equipment in their school.

This grant was issued, as a once-off measure, and will mean that schools can replace older equipment such as goalposts, PE mats, benches etc. The modern equipment which can be purchased will help facilitate PE and sporting activities in schools, which everyone recognises is a very important aspect of school life.

This funding package is being made as part of this Government's continued commitment to modernise facilities in schools throughout the country. I expect to announce a PE equipment grant for post-primary schools in the coming months.

In addition, since 2000 my Department has provided in excess of €5.5m in grant-aid to all primary schools to facilitate the provision of coaching or mentoring in connection with physical education or to purchase resource materials associated with the provision of physical education.

I would, however, point out that schools may use their general capitation funding to support the implementation of curricula including Physical Education. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant at primary level has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €145.58 with effect from 1st January, 2006. From 1st January next the standard per capita grant will be increased by a further €18 per pupil bringing the overall capitation grant per pupil at primary level to €163.58. This will represent an increase of 186% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 1997.

Second-level schools have also benefited from substantial increases in funding for their day-to-day costs. The standard capitation grant of €266 per pupil in 2003 now stands at €298 per pupil and the support services grant for secondary schools has been increased from €127 per pupil in 2003 to €159 per pupil in 2006. From 1 January next the standard per capita grant will be increased by a further €18 to €316 per pupil. In addition, for voluntary secondary schools the support services grant will be increased by €30 per student, which includes a further equalisation measure, to €189 per pupil. This aggregate increase of €48 per pupil will bring the cumulative increase in the per capita and support services grants for voluntary schools since 2003 to €112 per pupil.

Major capital projects at both primary and second level schools require the provision of adequate car parking facilities as part of the building project, providing that the site is of sufficient size — or where a new school on a greenfield site is being built.

In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures. My Department is prepared to consider applications from school authorities for grant-aid towards improving safety arrangements, including car parking, inside the vested area of the school, but would require that the integrity of the outdoor play area be safeguarded in so far as is possible. The Deputy will appreciate that, particularly in urban areas where the size of school site may be limited, it may not be possible to adequately facilitate both playing facilities and car parking to the extent that it can be done with a larger site.

Issues relating to traffic safety, pay car parking etc. outside of school grounds are the responsibility of the relevant Local Authority. Grant-aid is not available for works outside the vested area of the school.