Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he plans to tackle the low average rate of physical education allocation time in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17439/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Currently all primary and post primary schools provide P.E. as part of the curriculum and approved syllabuses are in place. The recommended time allocation for P.E. is 1 hour per week at primary level and two hours per week at post primary. This time allocation allows for the delivery of a broad and balanced P.E. programme that enables students to achieve the learning outcomes associated with this subject area.

There are other measures both within and outside of schools that complement the aims of the P.E. curriculum. These include the following:

Schools are playing an important role in promoting physical activity, both through the formal curricula and also through extra curricula activities. However, their efforts must be supported and complemented by parents and the local community, and other stakeholders. In particular, parents are encouraged and expected to promote physical activity among their children outside of school hours. It is worth noting in this context that the Unicef comparative overview "Child well-being in rich countries" which was published earlier this week shows that Ireland and the United States are the only countries in which more than 25% of children report exercising for at least an hour a day.