Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the need by some schools, due to circumstances outside of their control, to have policies in place that prevent children running in the school yard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17590/13]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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It is vitally important for children to avail of the opportunity to exercise at school. Children should be able to run and move freely in the school yard unless there are very compelling health and safety reasons for individual schools to prohibit such activity. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out the responsibilities on individual school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. It is also a matter for school authorities to determine school policies, taking into account any health and safety risks to children running in the school yard and to put appropriate safeguards in place to mitigate any potential risk to the school community. While appreciating that it is not always possible to eliminate all risks, it should nevertheless be possible, with appropriate supervision, to manage them in such a manner that pupils can run in school yards provided it is done in an orderly and supervised manner.