To ask the Minister of Education, as part of the Curriculum-led Capital Investment Programme, whether schools applying for the outdoor covered sports spaces will have to demonstrate that these facilities will be open to the wider community where it is safe and possible to do so.

The primary aim of the new curriculum-led capital investment programme is to invest in priority areas that will directly support, enable and enhance delivery of the curriculum to support high-quality learning and teaching. Where this investment would also benefit the wider community outside of school core usage, schools are encouraged to make their premises available as a community facility, where possible.

The eligibility criteria for both the pilot project to provide outdoor covered sports spaces in primary schools and the programme for synthetic pitches and sports halls in the post-primary sector will be set out by my department in the coming weeks.