Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 512: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in making the sports hall in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 20 available to the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4679/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education and Science has provided funding in excess of €34m for the construction of nine dual use halls with enhanced facilities attached to post-primary schools. Eight of these halls are in Dublin, including the hall referred to by the Deputy, and one is in Cork.

An allocation of funding amounting to €2.5 million was approved by the Government under the Educational Disadvantage strand of the Dormant Accounts Fund 2006 to establish the community use element of these sports halls.

Two proposals were submitted to my Department with a view to drawing down part of this funding to facilitate community use of five of the halls, one of which was a proposal from County Dublin VEC that it will manage and operate three of the halls attached to schools in the South County Dublin area, including the school referred to by the Deputy, on behalf of the Department of Education and Science.

Government agreement was given on Tuesday 23rd January to the drawdown of Dormant Accounts funding for both of these proposals amounting to €1.75 million or €350,000 per sports hall.

My Department has informed County Dublin VEC of this decision and given approval for appropriate staffing of the halls to facilitate their use by the community.