Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to the House and thank her for taking this Commencement matter.I also thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise the matter this morning.

In an effort to enhance and strengthen road safety, I propose that it be a mandatory subject at second level. Some schools already do modules on road safety during transition year and this has proven very successful. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, has designed a very impressive module which is available to schools but, unfortunately, there has been a very low uptake.

I wish to bring the House's attention to certain aspects of the module which comes under the heading of personal achievement and local and global citizenship. The unit builds on existing curriculum links in junior cycle civic, social and political education, CSPE, and social, personal and health education, SPHE, through its emphasis on the values and skills that underpin responsible decision-making and in respect for the rights and safety of others. The unit was designed by teachers and includes a wide range of methodologies and activities. The programme is fully resourced with a step-by-step set of lesson plans and worksheets. Each lesson is clearly structured and includes a teacher note, worksheets and class activities. An interactive DVD also provides support and includes class activities, crash reconstructions and real-life stories. The unit also includes project work and input from agencies such as An Garda Síochána, the emergency services and those with responsibility for the national car test, NCT, which adds greatly to the effectiveness of the programme. It delivers an important message that all students need to hear.

The transition unit is supported by digital resources including access to international websites on road safety issues and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, website. The module develops and reinforces research, field work and project skills acquired at junior cycle, Streetwise road safety links, with the promotion of positive attitudes and behaviours associated with CSPE and SPHE, and links with ICT for research and project presentation. It links with the leaving certificate physics motion and English media reporting of news and the role of advertising in promoting road safety. The module has an introduction to road safety, what it means to the trainee, whose business is road safety. It deals with pedestrians and cyclists. It goes into safety precautions, seat belt wearing, child restraints, loose objects in cars and air bags. It is quite a comprehensive module and its aims are to enable students to explore their own attitudes and behaviour in respect of road safety, promote visual literacy, enable students explore their own attitudes and behaviour in the context of road safety and increase road safety awareness among the wider school community. It also seeks to identify the key causes of road accidents in Ireland explain the factors that contribute to road safety, identify the role of different stakeholders who have a remit for road safety, work collaboratively towards an agreed set of goals through a group project, practice basic first aid skills and so on. Furthermore, it helps student successfully complete the driver theory test which is very important and something we are having difficulties with now. This is a very important subject that should be mainstreamed in second-level schools and other areas of education, adult and otherwise.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I wish to confirm that there are curriculum supports educating young people about road safety from a young age. The Garda schools programme, at both primary and post-primary level includes modules on road safety and on cycle safety. The aim of this programme is to engage with young people in order to enhance their appreciation of the need to be caring, law-abiding citizens and to increase awareness of their personal safety . The programme also seeks to improve awareness of road safety and to reduce injuries and fatalities. My Department has engaged with colleagues in An Garda Síochána to ensure that this programme contains strong links to the curriculum at primary and post primary level.

The Senator mentioned SPHE at primary level, which offers particular opportunities, in an age-appropriate manner, to foster the personal development, health and well-being of individual children. One of the three strands within SPHE is "Myself" which includes units on safety and protection. Through the SPHE curriculum children learn to identify situations and places that may threaten personal safety, identify people who are responsible for safety in the community and learn and practice safety strategies for crossing the road, using the bus or being a pedestrian, develop and practice strategies for keeping safe when travelling, such as being familiar with the rules for travelling in car or bus or on a bicycle.

The NCCA is in the process of reviewing and redeveloping the primary school curriculum, including SPHE and well-being. Phase 1 of consultation on the draft framework closed in December 2020, with phase 2, focusing on learners, teachers, school leaders and parents, due take place in September.

At junior cycle, SPHE has a specific personal safety strand which provides a mechanism through which road safety issues can be best dealt with in an age-appropriate way. At transition year, which is currently taken by 70% of students, there is an optional road safety programme which has been developed by the RSA in collaboration with the Department, the NCCA and the development service for teachers.

While there are no plans to introduce mandatory driver education classes at post-primary level, it is important to point out that basic tuition to lay a foundation in driver education features on many school curricula already. The optional RSA programme for transition year is available in 24-hour or 45-hour units and features inputs from various agencies, which the Senator mentioned, such as the ambulance service, the fire service and An Garda Síochána, as well as providing for visiting speakers, trips out of school, projects and case studies. It also introduction to road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists, and covers such issues as seat belts and airbags, driver fatigue, drink- and drug-driving, enforcement, basic first aid at road crashes, emergency services and rehabilitation. The programme is also supported by digital resources, which the Senator also mentioned, including DVD support and access to international websites that deal with road safety. Relevant driver theory test learning is included at the end of each module. The programme does not include driving lessons. The latter would probably not be appropriate for young people that age.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive reply. While I appreciate that driver theory testing is the responsibility of the RSA, there is a role for the Department and for second level schools in preparing young people for the driver theory test. I would go further and say that secondary schools should be designated centres to undertake the theory test under the supervision of the RSA. If that was in operation in our schools we would not have tens of thousands of mainly young people waiting to do a theory test before they can sit one of their 12 driving lessons. It would be beneficial to make road safety a compulsory subject at second level.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I will pass those comments on to the Minister. The updated Garda primary schools and post-primary schools programmes will be launched in the coming year.I reiterate that basic tuition to lay foundation in driver education features in the school curricula.

I note what the Senator said. While the RSA is not under the remit of the Department of Education, it provides back-to-school advice for parents and children in regard to transport, travelling by car, walking to school, travelling by bus and cycle safety. A number of different measures and curricula, therefore, teach children about road safety issues and their own personal safety . There are basic guidelines and tuition in respect of a foundation in driver education and they should be of assistance.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. She has a lot on her plate this morning.