Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she is taking to ensure that all goalposts used in schools are safe, in view of a number of accidents in which temporary or portable goalposts have collapsed on children causing injury and in some cases death; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13031/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. The National Standards Authority of Ireland has recently launched a new committee to develop a standard for the safety of goalposts. Involved in this committee, in addition to the National Standards Authority of Ireland itself, are such sporting organisations as the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Football Association of Ireland, Irish Rugby Football Union, the International Rugby Board, engineering firms, universities and other relevant State agencies, including an official from my Department.