Three-quarters of primary schools do not have a sports hall, over half have no indoor sports facilities and almost a third have no access to a swimming pool, a Fine Gael survey of physical education provision has found.
At a time of growing concern about childhood obesity levels, the survey of primary school principals also revealed that a quarter of primary students receive less than an hour of PE per week.
Only half of schools are able to provide initiatives to increase the participation of girls in PE or other recreational programmes, such as dance classes. But while a quarter of schools had a multipurpose room for PE activities, some 60 per cent of principals said inadequate facilities and equipment were the main barriers to the provision of PE in their school.This was particularly true in bad weather.
Interestingly, 85 per cent said they would like to see PE offered as a Leaving Certificate subject. Gaelic football, soccer and hurling or camogie were also the most popular sporting activities in schools.
The research prompted the INTO to claim yesterday that without substantial investment, the PE curriculum "just will not happen" here.
Launching the findings in Dublin yesterday, Fine Gael's spokesman on sport Jimmy Deenihan TD said the Government had abolished the PE grant to schools in 2002, and had forced overcrowded schools to use general purpose areas as classrooms. But a lack of PE provision for schoolchildren was contributing to rising obesity levels here, he said.
"As things stand we are actively storing up health problems for the future with heart disease and diabetes being a particular concern," he said. "The low participation of girls in sport has a long-term implication for children's health."
If in government, Mr Deenihan said Fine Gael would aim to prioritise the provision of facilities that can be used by both schools and the local community.
Meanwhile, in a pre-budget submission, the Irish Heart Foundation yesterday called for a grant scheme of €5,000 for primary and secondary schools to provide sports and PE equipment.