The Department of Education has published updated procedures on the use of school buildings including sports facilities outside of school hours.
It wants to encourage schools to make facilities available to local communities so that their use can be maximised.
It says any income derived from after-school use will not affect any State funding that a school is entitled to.
Announcing the updated procedures, the department said schools could support the social fabric of community life and help serve the need for new community facilities in areas where there are new residential developments.
It highlighted the provision of after-school childcare to support working families, saying this was “strongly encouraged”.
The new procedures replace guidelines issued in 2017 and have been developed following engagement with stakeholders in the education sector and relevant Government departments, the department said.
“While the primary purpose of schools is the provision of primary and post-primary education the department is supportive of the use of available school property by childcare providers if there is space available and it does not interfere with the day-to-day running of the school,” the department said in a statement.
The new guidelines emphasise certain requirements including the need for legal arrangements to be put in place, insurance, and that the proposed out-of-school hours activities should not affect the future development of the school.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said: “Many schools are already making their wonderful facilities available outside of school hours for the benefit of local communities.
“We want to encourage the use of our school buildings right throughout the week and the calendar year.”
The new guidelines are available here.
Schools’ summer programme funding reduced
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has said it is “extraordinarily regrettable” that funding for the secondary schools’ summer programme has been reduced.
Kieran Christie said the reduction in the allowance for schools providing the summer programme to €30 per student in 2024 from €45 in 2023 is “unconscionable”.
Schools were not made aware of the shortfall in a sufficient timeframe, he said.
He told RTÉ’s Drivetime: “Principals are at their wit’s end trying to organise a meaningful and fulfilling program for students.
“The €45 just about covered it last year and they don’t know how they are going to cope with just €30 this year.
“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing in the last week from principals and deputy principals who are organising it and are really struggling to figure out how they can put forward a meaningful and fulfilling program for these students during the summer months.”
