Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the committee members for their comments. There is a lot of good stuff in all of this. I would do the committee members an injustice if I kept them here for an hour to go through this line by line. This now is not just a matter of public record, it is also going to be the blacks and whites for my team to put together the action plan. Obviously not everything will be incorporated into the action plan. We can work on themes that have emerged here today and I really want to do that.

I will do a whistlestop tour through a few of the issues that have been raised. Senator Maria Byrne mentioned corp oideachas, which is PE as Gaeilge, and looking at how we differentiate between physical literacy, physical education and physical activity. I want to try to work on giving PE its proper status within primary schools. We are doing that at second level. By 2020, PE will be introduced as a choice for the leaving certificate, as will computer science. Senator Byrne mentioned the statistics which show that girls drop out of sports at the earlier age of 13 or 14 years and are twice as likely as boys to drop out of sports. If we are serious about PE at the leaving certificate level then we must consider PE at primary school level. I have learned, having informed myself about this subject, that there are specific modules within the training of teachers for primary schools so we have to figure out a way. In terms of my own passion for the Irish language, I think there is a quick win in terms of the Irish language. I mean if PE can be taught through the medium of Irish then students will learn or improve their Irish language skills in a fun, more creative and more enjoyable way. Maybe we could enter a new era where people develop a love for the Irish language in that way. I will keep the committee up to speed with this matter.

Deputy Funchion talked about the nearest school rule. We are reviewing that transportation arrangement as we speak. She talked about special classes as did another member. That is an evolving issue. It is hard to comprehend the change since 2011, when there were nearly 500 special classes and today there are nearly 1,500 but that is still not enough. The programme is still not done in the way that I would like it to be done. I do not like the programme being diagnosis led. We will look at a new model. We are working on that at present and we will look at incorporating the HSE, my Department and the Department of Health. To be honest, it was at this committee that I encountered this concept, and it was my first day here as Minister. I am very interested in developing that model where if a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist or nurse is needed in a mainstream school then that is the place where we need to be going and continue to give parents the choice.

Deputy Funchion also raised the issue of the lack of secondary school options. The issue was raised by a number of members. We have done a good piece of work on that at primary level but we have still a piece of work to do at secondary level.

On empathy and mindfulness, has Deputy Martin formally invited me to the event at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesdays?