Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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1009. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure that an application for a sports hall by a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath, which was originally submitted in November 2005 and resubmitted in March 2008, and which has been identified in a recent whole-school evaluation-management leadership and learning document as being extremely important in the context of providing for the organisation of physical education classes on wet days and other extra-curricular activities within the school, can now be addressed without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22388/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve Physical Education facilities for all pupils attending schools within the constraints of the available funding.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that the Physical Education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different aspects of the P.E. programme. In addition, many schools use local facilities, which can include public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.

As the Deputy is also aware, due to the competing demands on my Department's capital budget imposed by the need to prioritise available funding for the provision of essential school classroom accommodation, it is not possible at this point to provide an indicative timeframe for the provision of funding towards a multi-purpose/PE hall for the school concerned.