Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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574. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding or grants are available for all weather play areas, such as astro turf facilities for primary schools in Kerry; if so, when applications are taken for these; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1049/25]

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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575. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funds or grants available to primary schools for all weather sports facilities, such as astro turf; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1050/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Investment and expenditure on sports facilities is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the School Building Programme. The provision of outdoor play areas form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.

Practically all schools have outdoor play areas, and many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. Learning experiences relating to the curriculum such as Athletics, Invasion Games and Adventure Activities can take place outdoors on tarmac. Nevertheless, my department is conducting a review of the current tarmacadam specification and is involving a number of schools in a trial of the use of polymeric and astro-turf surfaces.

The Department's summer works scheme also typically provide for works to schools’ existing external play areas. Funding under this scheme is limited to currently approved playing surfaces including tarmac and concrete. As part of its future planning, Department officials are considering and planning for the next phases of the summer works programme and the opportunities this may create to support the sustainability agenda. In this regard, it is envisaged at this stage that, a Multi-Annual SWS with a focus on climate action and energy conservation will be the next summer works scheme to be opened for applications. The arrangements and timing of that SWS is still under consideration and schools will be updated in due course.