Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she is taking to address the lack of sports facilities in schools, particularly primary schools. [6771/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Physical Education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary, depending on the size of the school and the extent of the site.

Many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different aspects of the PE programme. A similar situation with sports halls and outdoor facilities applies at second level. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.

I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to promoting appropriate levels of exercise for our children and young people — both in their community and at school. The extent and quality of local sports facilities has been improved dramatically in recent years, with more than €450 million invested by the Government since 1998 in over 5,000 projects through the Sports Capital Programme.

At the same time, general purpose and outdoor play facilities have been provided for schools all over the country through the School Building Programme. Over €2.6 billion was expended on school building infrastructure between 2000 and 2006.

For the period between 2007 and 2013, €4.5 billion, including almost €600 million this year, is to be invested under the National Development Plan. New curricula for PE in primary schools and at Junior Cert level have also been put in place.

Primary schools received €2,000 each in PE equipment grants in 2006, at a total cost of €6.5 million. A similar grant of €4,000 per pupil, at an overall cost of around €3 million, issued to post-primary schools in 2007. In addition, since 2000 my Department has provided in excess of €5.5m in grant-aid to 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. Such materials and equipment would normally have a useful life of several years.

My Department also works closely with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Department of Health and Children through the Health Service Executive in funding improved playing facilities through the Clár and Rapid Area Schemes and the Dormant Account Fund.

Through an increased focus on exercise in schools and in the community, the Government is working to provide the facilities to encourage more children and young people to get active. Indeed, the 'State of the Nation's Children' report launched by the Minister for Children in 2007, found that children in Ireland are doing well on physical activity, ranking second across the 32 WHO countries in being physically active for at least 4 hours per week.