Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Independent)
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225. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the issue of the weight of children's schoolbags; the risk they may pose to the health of children; the action he is taking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48887/13]

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Independent)
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231. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the responsibility his Department has for addressing the issue of the weight of children's schoolbags and the potential risk to their health; the actions his Department has taken to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48888/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 231 together.

My Department issued Circular M35/05 in 2005 to highlight the potential health hazard of overweight schoolbags and to outline a range of local measures that could be put in place to help alleviate the problem.

The circular referred to the recommendations of the previously published report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags. This report acknowledged that many of the solutions belong at local school level and made various recommendations in this regard, such as optimum use of storage facilities, developing pupil organisation skills and timetabling.

It is a matter for each individual school to determine which particular measures are most suited to its individual circumstances and to how the school concerned organises teaching and learning.

The circular and the report of the Working Group on the Weight of School Bags are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie.