Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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147. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have a PE hall by county; the percentage of schools that do not have same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34229/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of schools that have or do not have a PE hall is not readily available within my Department.

I wish to advise the Deputy that the provision of PE Halls form part of the accommodation brief for all newly established schools. These facilities may also form part of the overall accommodation brief for major capital extensions to existing schools. Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website, www.education.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.

The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the NDP (from 2023 onwards) will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This will include a PE Hall build and modernisation programme to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.

The immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a school place.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the minimum infrastructural requirements each primary and secondary school must meet, that is, classrooms, PE halls and so on; the guidelines for the minimum land size for primary and secondary schools; the minimum outdoor recreational facilities required for primary and secondary schools; the number of primary and secondary schools being built outside the guidelines by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34230/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that a school's enrolment dictates the teacher allocation and consequently the accommodation required varies from school to school.

In the case of school projects, my Department's Technical Guidance Documents set out the general principles of Universal Design in schools.

A suite of technical guidance documents is available on the Department's website (www.education.ie) to assist design teams in best practice design and development of projects and to encourage them to take a complete design team approach from project conception. These documents cover all aspects of the development of a building project for both internal and external works.