Responsibility for arranging insurance cover on school property and against public liability is a matter for the managerial authorities of primary schools and would fall to be met from the capitation funding which schools receive from my Department.

Capitation grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating c osts of national schools which would include heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, painting, teaching aids and other miscellaneous charges. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from £45 (€57.14) per
pupil to €111.58 in the 2002|2003 school year. As I recently announced, this grant will be increased by a further €10 in 2004. This represents an increase of almost 113% since 1997.

I remain committed to further improving the funding position of primary schools in the light of available resources.

Commissioners to determine what changes may be needed to the administration of the scheme, to minimise the potential for abuse. Any adjustments will be made in a In his Budget speech, my colleague, Mr. Charlie McCreevy, T.D., Minister for Finance, referred to the need to minimise abuse in the context of extending the section 481 scheme to 2008.

I agree, and have said publicly on several occasions, that there is no place in this scheme for those who do not play by the rules, and within the spirit of the rules. Accordingly, my Department has entered into consultations with the Department of Finance and the Revenue way that is consistent with preserving the attractiveness and practicality of the scheme.

The first priority is to identify any issues that should be best addressed in the 2004 Finance Bill. Other measures may be applied by administrative action under the legislation.

Irish traditional arts are a precious and fundamental part of our national cultural life. In an increasingly uniform world, our arts, like our language, say something special about who we are, about where we came from as a people, about what distinguishes us and our culture from others in the world. Very many people enjoy the traditional arts, but even those whose taste runs in other directions would say that our distinctive Irish art forms are special, that they are worth protecting, and that if we lost them we would be much the poorer.

I am aware of the sense of dissatisfaction that exists within the traditional arts sector with the treatment that the sector had received over the years. Accordingly, I have now set up a Special Committee under the Arts Act 2003 on the traditional arts to examine these issues in detail, and to furnish a view to the Council by September 2004. The Committees' task is to formulate advice to the Arts Council, and not to dictate to it.

The "Special Committee" system is in my view a well-balanced one. The Chair, who is selected from the membership of the council, and two ordinary members are appointed by the Minister of the day, with the remaining two ordinary members appointed by the Council itself.

The Terms of Reference for this Committee provide that its advice should include specific recommendations regarding:-

The future role of the Arts Council in relation to support for the traditional arts, taking account of existing support systems, facilities and funding programmes for supporting the traditional arts across all Government Departments, non-Governmental Agencies, and Local Authorities;

The applicability and relevance of the terms 'amateur', 'professional' and 'voluntary' in contemporary practice in traditional arts; and

If the Committee considers it appropriate, proposals for an effective framework for assessing funding proposals. This should include a review of whether the position of the traditional arts in the cultural life of the nation is appropriately reflected in the assignments within the Council's authorised staffing complement. Proposals must be framed in accordance with the Government's current policy on the need to reduce public service staff numbers.

This Government has over the past five years committed about €260 million to support investment in sporting facilities at local, regional and national levels. By doing so it has enabled the creation of a sporting infrastructure which has revitalised communities throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. That said, I have at all times acknowledged that there is also a need to address the significant gap which exists at present in the availability of modern stadium accommodation to house major international sporting events.

I wish to pay tribute in this regard to the vision, imagination and energy of the GAA in delivering the world-class 80,000 capacity stadium at Croke Park which is a source of such pride to us all. Nevertheless, all of the major sporting bodies – GAA, FAI and IRFU – acknowledge that there is also a need for a second modern stadium in Dublin. This is a point of view with which I am in full agreement.

As I have indicated to the House on previous occasions the question of how to deliver modern sports stadium facilities continues to be the subject of very active dialogue between myself and the sports bodies mainly concerned, the FAI, IRFU and the GAA.
I have at all times made it clear in my discussions with these agencies that my preference was for the development of a National Stadium at a greenfield site at Abbotstown. Deputies will understand, therefore, that it was a matter of real regret to me that in September 2002, the Government found it necessary in the prevailing budgetary circumstances to say that it was no longer in a position to commit Exchequer support on the scale required for the realisation of the National Stadium project. In those circumstances and with the approval of the Government, I set about exploring the potential for securing private sector investment in place of Exchequer resources for this project. My initial enquiries established that while there is considerable interest among private investors in entering into partnership for this project, the terms on which such a project could be realised were likely to present difficulties for some or all of the parties involved.

In my consultations with the sporting bodies I sought to establish where their preferences lay. In response to my invitation to the IRFU and the FAI to set out their priorities, these organisations jointly commissioned Arup Consultants to draw up prioritised proposals. I received OPW's comprehensive analysis of the Arup report in mid September. Since then, I have had further discussions and consultations with interested parties and obtained further information in regard to development options for Lansdowne Road at a meeting in my office on 16th December with FAI and IRFU representatives.

Taking account of the issues highlighted in the various reports, the outcome of my discussions with the sporting bodies, the outcome of the analysis of the responses to the initiative to secure privately funded facilities and having regard for the likely demand on the Exchequer to fund such a facility, it is my intention to bring to the Government at an early date the various options for meeting the stadium needs of the organisations. It would clearly be inappropriate for me at this stage to anticipate what the Government may eventually decide.

With regard to the availability of Croke Park I wish to refer the Deputy to the position which I articulated earlier today in response to a Priority Parliamentary Question no. 1. I have not entered into negotiations with the GAA with a view to having Croke Park made available to house other major sporting fixtures.