In sport, as in life, it is not so much about the winning, as the taking part. And so, I am delighted to be here today in Manor House School to officially open your beautiful new sports facilities. This new PE Hall at Manor House will encourage all of the students here to participate in more sports and physical activity for fun and enjoyment.
It is essential to recognise the importance of sport in the overall development of individuals, especially young people. I am pleased to say that an increasing number of women are becoming interested in sport, either at recreation or high performance level and we must continue to encourage this trend.
Manor House School, under the trusteeship of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, has a strong record in this community. The Order was founded by Frances Taylor in 1869 and has been working in this parish since 1952.
I know that Manor House prides itself on providing students with an excellent academic programme, appropriate to their needs, but within a caring and supportive environment. The ethos of the school is grounded in the tradition of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God and also places strong emphasis on partnership with parents.
Of course, Manor House School already has an excellent record in sporting achievements. I know that in the last school year, over 300 of you represented 26 teams in more than 10 different sports. That is a great record and one to be very proud of indeed.
It is clear to see that this school has strongly encouraged participation in sport down through the years. I am told that back in the 70's, the Trustees took out a bank loan to build a hockey pitch, an all weather shale pitch that lasted you up to two years ago when UCD kindly donated an astro turf pitch that they were taking up.
This fine new €2m PE Hall, funded I am pleased to say by the Department of Education and Science, is fully equipped to accommodate basketball, volleyball, hockey, football and badminton. It also contains fitness equipment such as treadmills, steppers, resistance machines and rowers. And the Hall will fulfil a dual purpose by also accommodating meetings and, less popular I am sure, exams.
Of course, it was through the 2004 School Building Programme that the Department of Education and Science approved the construction of 6 generically-designed, stand-alone P.E. halls on a pilot basis. The Department used this initiative to cut down on time taken to deliver PE Halls as well as to reduce the Design Team fees.
I am delighted that Manor House School was one of the 6 schools chosen and today we see at first hand the fantastic facility that has been built. I would like to congratulate the contractors, Midland Construction Engineering Ltd., on an excellent job.
We in Government recognise the importance of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and that is why, for the first time ever, in 1997, we accorded sport Cabinet status.
Since then, Government funding for sport at all levels in Ireland has increased dramatically, from €17 million in 1997 to over €316 million this year. This is an unprecedented level of funding in the history of Irish sport and is directed at ensuring that opportunities for participation in sport exist for every community in Ireland.
Under the 2006 Sports Capital Programme, priority was given to projects that showed a greater involvement of women. This trend will continue in 2007 and it is an area of special concern for my colleague, Minister John O’Donoghue.
I know that sport ranks highly on this school’s curriculum and I am delighted to hear that you are currently piloting the new Junior Cycle Syllabus for P.E. I also want to congratulate you on your recent Whole School Evaluation report, conducted by the Department of Education and Science, which was extremely positive. That, of course, is no surprise given your excellent record for academic excellence.
I know the school ethos, which is one of care and concern for others, draws on the guiding principles of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. I want to pay tribute here to Sr. Margaret Cashman, the only remaining member of the Order on the teaching staff, for her great work in continuing to nurture and maintain this tradition within the school.
Congratulations again to everyone involved in this project. I would like to particularly thank Eilis Casey, Deputy Principal, for inviting me here today. Eilis has asked me to say a special thank you to Senator Cyprian Brady for all his help along the way.
I wish all the staff and students in Manor House continued success and I hope you all get many hours of enjoyment from these facilities.
Thank you.
Ends.