Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the efforts she and her Department make to educate young people about sexually transmitted diseases and infections and alcohol abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15523/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The national health promotion strategy clearly sets out the rationale for and objectives of health promotion in schools in Ireland. The strategy contends that "a health promoting school can be characterised as a school constantly strengthening its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working".

The social, personal and health education, SPHE, support service is a partnership between the Departments of Health and Children and Education and Science and the Health Service Executive. It provides the cornerstone for health promotion work in the school setting. The partnership has been formally in operation since September 2000 and ongoing support is provided to all schools to enhance the implementation of the programme.

Social, personal and health education, SPHE, is a broad based health education programme which aims to enhance the self-esteem and decision making skills of young people across a range of topics including relationships and sexuality and substance use using experiential learning methodologies. Evaluation of several of these programmes to date has shown that effective knowledge gains can be achieved, that skills can be developed and curriculum development can be supported.