Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the opinions expressed by the Senator. In the past ten or 12 years we have been exceptionally careful in certain instances to suppress the opportunity for children to play in our schools because of concerns around health and safety. We need to look at models that are emerging worldwide of very structured play opportunities for children during their break times that will allow them to play and engage in significant physical activity during lunch break. I was pleased to be able to work with Ashoka Ireland in launching a pilot of an initiative emanating from the US, entitled Playworks. The pilot is up and running in a number of schools throughout the country, including in Educate Together school in Newcastle in Galway, with which Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh will be familiar. The initial reports from teachers and parents in that school are exceptionally positive. As Senator Conway pointed out children are more productive. The classroom setting immediately after engaging in physical play and physical activity is much more calm and measured and children, once they get the opportunity to express themselves during formal play time, are more amenable to learning during the formal classroom session. There is much to be learned in this area and many benefits can accrue in the future from adopting a more enlightened approach to play and to structured play in the playground.