Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 316: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that four schools in the Tallaght and Clondalkin areas of Dublin have had funding for the community use of their sports halls stopped; if the schools concerned have been promised a continuation of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43500/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The four facilities referred to by the Deputy are in Killinarden and Firhouse in South Dublin and Palmerstown and Collinstown in West Dublin. They were built as part of a programme to develop combined community/school sports facilities in drugs task force areas in Dublin and Cork. The objective was that each facility (nine in total) would serve a dual purpose. Firstly, they would put good sporting and recreational facilities at the disposal of the school-going population of the areas of South, West Dublin and Cork, and secondly, the facilities would be accessible for the wider communities too. The Department of Education and Science (D/E&S) provided funding in excess of €34m towards the capital cost of constructing the halls and Dormant Accounts monies was used to enable the opening of these facilities. The Dormant Account funding will be fully expended by the end of December 2008.

In view of the circumstances, the D/E&S approached my Department with a view to securing a longer-term and more sustainable funding source. My Department has examined the matter and, in recent days, has reached agreement with South Dublin VEC and South County Dublin County Council on the broad principles of an arrangement to secure the community use of these facilities for the longer-term. While the details of the proposals are yet to be finalised, I am satisfied that the facilities will remain available to the community without any interruption of services and that their longer-term use will be secured.