Dr. Una May:

I can speak to the education system. It would be nice to have that influence and be the Minister for Education but we have built some good relationships with the Department of Education recently. We are just about to embark on our biannual research study on the participation of children and young people in sport and physical activity. That research is carried out through the assistance of schools and we really appreciate their assistance in rolling out that research.

In addition to the research being carried out as part of that project, we have also engaged with the Department on the ongoing consultation around the junior cycle curriculum. Dr. O'Connor previously mentioned the importance of physical literacy and this is something we raised in our consultation paper. From our perspective it is also important to ensure we support not just the physical literacy side but the greater opportunities for children and young people in sport, particularly teenage girls who may value more variety in the opportunities they are offered. The curriculum outlines significant opportunities but in order to ensure those opportunities are made available we must see the curriculum implemented to the full extent.