Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of any sports pitches and or facilities under the ownership of his Department in the Dublin central and surrounding areas; and if these are being used by local schools. [15804/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that the day to day management of how sports pitches and facilities are used in schools is carried out at local level. It is open to local communities to liaise directly with schools regarding the potential use of school facilities after school hours.

Many schools use adjacent local facilities, including public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. My Department does not have a comprehensive inventory which would indicate the facilities available to each school.

It should be borne in mind, however, that the State does not in fact own the vast majority of our schools. Most would be owned by the religious. They are owned by their trustees and managed by their boards of management, whose right it is to decide on the use of school facilities subject to the terms of any existing lease on the property.