Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when guidance will be available to schools to enable them to prepare a road safety protocol as required by the Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29130/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is at present working in co-operation with the Health and Safety Authority and the State Claims Agency on the development of guidelines and resources for schools on health and safety, with an initial focus on second-level schools. It is envisaged that these guidelines and resources, which will include guidance on the preparation of a road safety protocol for inclusion in the school safety statement, will be published on my Department's website early in the next school year. I believe that schools have a role to play both in teaching students about road safety issues and in helping them to develop the attitudes necessary to promote safe behaviour on the roads.

The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which is mandatory in primary schools and at junior cycle level, provides a framework under which the generic values and skills which underpin responsible decision-making, and respect for the rights and safety of others, can be developed and promoted among students. SPHE has a specific personal safety strand within the programme, and this provides a mechanism through which road safety issues for all can be best dealt with in an age appropriate way.

In February of this year, the Road Safety Authority launched the RSA MACE "Safe to School" campaign at primary level, which is aimed at helping primary school children learn effective road safety lessons. The campaign is about walking to school safely and as part of this initiative educational packs and DVDs have been distributed to all primary schools and a Walking to School Guide has been produced. A dedicated website, www.safetoschool.ie, has also been launched as part of the campaign.

The Streetwise programme for junior cycle pupils was launched in UN Road Safety Week on 24 April 2007. It covers road safety across 9 topics — walking, cycling, seatbelts, airbags, speed, driver fatigue, motor cycle safety, hazard recognition and the engineering aspects of road safety, to be delivered over approx. nine class periods. In addition, a Road Safety programme for Transition Year, developed by the Road Safety Authority in collaboration with my Department, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the Second level Support Service is currently being piloted in schools. My Department will continue to work with the Road Safety Authority to strengthen the role of schools in promoting road safety even further.