Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on coordinating with the Department of Education and Science on the shared use of sports and physical activity facilities between schools and the community; if he will develop and implement such a policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3634/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, allocates funding to sporting and community organisations and, in certain circumstances to schools and colleges, throughout the country. It is the main vehicle for development of sports facilities at local, regional and national level throughout the country. Under the programme priority is given to the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities.

Primary and post-primary schools wishing to be considered for funding under the programme may apply for funding jointly with local sports clubs or community groups and must meet other conditions including a requirement that the local community will have significant access to the proposed facility, at least 30 hours a week throughout the year, when it is not being used by the school itself. Any sports facility proposed for funding by a sporting organisation and which would be located within school grounds would have to meet these same conditions.

Applications from primary and post-primary schools and colleges on their own are not considered under the programme. Responsibility for the provision of sports facilities in schools and colleges is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Education and Science.

Work on the development of a National Sports Facility Strategy is now underway in my Department. The aim of the strategy is to provide high- level policy direction for future investment at national, regional and local level. An inter-agency steering group has been established to oversee this work and includes representation from the Department of Education & Science. The work of this group has included discussions with the Department of Education and Science on how its policy on the provision of sports hall facilities and my Department's policy for the provision of sports facilities might be complementary.