198 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Education when the last sports/assembly hall was provided to a school with financial assistance from her Department; the school concened; when similar allocations will be available for school sports facilities; and if schools can access any other sources of funding. [7134/96]

It is the policy of my Department's planning and building unit to incorporate PE facilities and changing areas into the schedule of accommodation for new schools or for major extensions to schools where previously there was no such accommodation or unsatisfactory existing facilities. The most recent PE hall provided to a school with financial assistance from my Department is the newly constructed community school in Kinsale due for completion this month.

In addition, provision has been made for the architectural planning of 12 PE halls in the 1996 capital programme at post-primary schools which do not already have PE halls with a view to commencing construction on three of these projects during the course of the year. The question of providing PE facilities can only be considered in the context of capital available for post primary building purposes generally.

Provision of PE facilities where these are not being planned at present will resume as soon as pressure on available resources for classroom accommodation has eased. My Department also administers a sports capital programme. In general, school projects are not eligible for funding under either the major sports capital programme or the recreation facilities scheme. However, a limited number of school sports facilities have been assisted under the schemes where the project is being undertaken by a local community group in co-operation with a school. One of the conditions attaching to the scheme is that the completed facility must be available to all sections of the community.

In relation to the possibility of alternative funding outside of my Department, this is a matter for the school authorities to pursue.