Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 566: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the programmes and policies he has for schools, both primary and secondary, to highlight the importance of road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42399/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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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 2007, the Road Safety Authority launched the RSA MACE "Safe to School" campaign at primary level. The programme is aimed at helping primary school children learn effective road safety lessons. The 2007 campaign covered walking to school safely, in 2008 the campaign is focused around the topic of Cycling to School Safely. 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 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 was piloted in the 2007/08 school year and will be rolled out to schools in the next school year.

Applications issued to schools inviting them to participate in the programme from September 2008 and over 200 schools applied for the necessary in-service which took place in October 2008. My Department will continue to work with the Road Safety Authority to strengthen the role of schools in promoting road safety even further. A range of measures are also being taken to promote safety on school buses.