Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action he proposes to take to encourage and promote sporting activities including coaching in schools at all levels with a view to fostering a long-term interest by pupils and students culminating in participation at international level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2684/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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At primary level, physical education (PE) is one of the six secular curriculum areas in the revised Primary Curriculum. The curriculum was revised in 1999 and implemented on a phased basis, with PE being introduced in 2005/6 prefaced by a national programme of in-service training for teachers. At post-primary level, in accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools physical education should form part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on the Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered on the school timetable. A revised syllabus for physical education for junior cycle, as a non-examination subject, was introduced on a phased basis, beginning in September 2003 and a national support team was put in place to assist in its implementation.

Physical education is an integral part of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme. All LCA students must take two modules—Leisure Studies and Health Related Fitness—and there are four additional modules from which they can make further choices. It should be noted that the physical education syllabuses both at primary and second level have been developed on the understanding that facilities available in schools vary. Consequently, they offer flexibility regarding the physical activities undertaken so that each individual school can design a programme appropriate to the needs of its students that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to that school. The provision of new physical education facilities such as PE Halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor play areas, along with the improvement of existing facilities, is normally considered within the design brief for building projects at schools.

Quite apart from physical education classes, schools in Ireland have a strong and proud tradition of developing sport outside of the school time-table. Sports organisations such as the Gaelic Athletic Association, Basketball Ireland, the Football Association of Ireland provide extensive opportunities for schools to participate in sport.

The Irish Sports Council, in co-operation with bodies such as the FAI and Local Sports Partnerships, has developed a national Buntús Primary Schools Initiative through which additional supports — training, resource cards and equipment — are provided to support teachers and others in introducing young people to sport, and to complement the Physical Education curriculum. The initiative aims to raise the profile of physical activity and sport, improve in-service training opportunities for teachers, assist governing bodies of sport to develop and deliver appropriate supports for teachers, and provide enjoyable and meaningful activity for children which supports the delivery of the curriculum.

A special PE funding package of €3 million issued to post-primary schools in 2007, providing a grant of €4,000 per school towards the cost of replacing and upgrading PE equipment. This grant was issued, as a once-off measure, to enable schools to replace older equipment such as goalposts, PE mats, benches etc. The second 'State of the Nation's Children' report launched by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs found that children in Ireland are doing well on physical activity, ranking first across the 41 participating countries in being physically active for at least 4 hours per week.