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Minister for Sport Shane Ross has come under a fire for a tweet which congratulated one of Dublin's biggest private schools on receiving funding under the Government's Sports Capital programme.

The Independent TD for the Dublin Rathdown constituency sent out the tweet of congratulations to Wesley College, which received €150,000 that will go toward re-surfacing the school's hockey pitch.

Fees at the Ballinteer school which is part of Minister Ross' constituency start at €6,250 per academic year for secondary school and increase depending on if the student will board and if they take up playing an instrument or singing.

Sports facilities at Wesley College include four rugby pitches and floodlit rugby grid, a soccer pitch, two full-size hockey pitches, two mini hockey pitches, two full-size hockey grit pitches, 16 tennis courts, two cricket pitches, two outdoor basketball courts, a gymnasium, a sports hall and athletics track and field facilities.

The tweet has had a less than positive response. One person commented: "What a disgrace! Throwing money at private schools for a pitch that’s rented out for profit. Whilst sports clubs live out of portacabins."

While another added: "Meanwhile the 4th and 5th class pupils of our local school are all in the hall because their classrooms pose such a fire hazard they cannot be used, but hey, hockey!"

Ross' tweet was also described as "an insult to public schools that are struggling".

One of the aims of the Government funded sports capital programme is to "prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of sports facilities".

The fund is also in place to "assist VECs and schools to develop high quality, safe, well-designed, sustainable facilities in appropriate locations and to provide appropriate equipment to help maximise participation in sport and physical recreation".

It is also intended to "encourage the multi-purpose use" of facilities by "clubs, community organisations and national governing bodies of sport". The pitch is also used by the local YMCA Hockey Club.