Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of copies of the circular relating to the weight of schoolbags which were sent to each second level in the most recent circularisation of schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35580/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A copy of the circular referred to by the Deputy was issued to each second level school at the beginning of the current school year. The circular is also available on the website of the Department of Education and Science. In line with normal practice, schools were asked to give a copy of the circular to the appropriate representatives of parents and teachers for transmission to individual parents and teachers.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 555: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the research which her Department has carried out in regard to the use of wheelie schoolbags to counteract the physical damage done to students from carrying school-bags that are too heavy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35581/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education and Science has not conducted any specific research on the use by students of wheelie schoolbags. The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, acknowledged that many solutions to the problem can be found at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the need to heighten awareness of the potential health hazards posed by excessively heavy schoolbags. In this regard, the Department initiated an awareness-raising campaign by disseminating the report and an accompanying circular to all primary and post-primary schools. A further circular was issued this year to highlight the potential health hazard of heavy schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures which can be adopted to alleviate the problem. It is a matter for individual schools to choose the measures which are most suited to their individual needs. The Department is aware that positive action has been taken by many schools. Some second level schools have taken a range of measures, including the provision of lockers, the arrangement of the timetable into double class periods, active liaison with parents and the co-ordination of homework by subject teachers.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the discussions her Department have had with the school book publishing companies regarding the breaking down of the four year text books for junior certificate cycle students into one year sections as a means of reducing the weight of school bags; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35582/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 558: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to provide CDs which provide an oral version of the text of Irish language books at first and second level in the education system here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35588/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 558 together.

The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, stated that many of the solutions belong at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the need to increase awareness of the potential health hazards of excessively heavy schoolbags. In this regard, the Department of Education and Science initiated an awareness-raising campaign by disseminating the report and an accompanying circular to all primary and post-primary schools. A further circular was issued this year to highlight the potential health hazard of heavy schoolbags and to outline a range of local steps which can be taken to alleviate the problem. It is a matter for individual schools to choose the measures which are most suited to their individual needs. The Department is aware that positive action has been taken by many schools. Some schools have taken a range of measures, including the provision of lockers, the arrangement of the timetable into double class periods, active liaison with parents and the co-ordination of homework by subject teachers.

Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second level, mainly in language subjects, school textbooks are not approved or prescribed by the Department at first or second level. Decisions on the books to use are taken at school level. The publication and sale of school books are matters for independent commercial enterprises. It is not open to me to compel publishing companies to produce texts in a particular format or to require CDs rather than textbooks. The report I have mentioned highlighted the potential for textbooks in CD-ROM format to be developed by publishers, subject to customer demand. It indicated that for the majority of pupils it was likely that the textbook would remain central to the learning process for the immediate future. The report was disseminated by the Department to the Irish Educational Publishers Association, which was asked to include consideration of the weight of school textbooks in their deliberations and liaise with teachers on finding solutions to the problem. The report highlighted that teachers and pupils favoured the use of multi-level textbook production for ease of convenience and ease of access and cited a high demand for them.