Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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175. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools and second level schools that have been visited by a physical education inspector in each of the years 2013 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and the powers the physical education inspector has to enforce recommendations made regarding the provision of school physical education following a review. [50134/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Primary school inspectors are not recruited as subject specialists. Primary inspectors evaluate Physical Education lessons in the course of a wide range of evaluation models. 

At second level, post-primary inspectors visit Physical Education lessons within a number of inspection models. Specialist post-primary inspectors of Physical Education also conduct focused inspections of Physical Education and a number of follow-through inspections of Physical Education. In the years 2013-2017, 61 subject inspections and follow-through inspections of Physical Education were completed (2013: 17; 2014: 19; 2015: 6; 2016: 7; to date in 2017: 12).

Inspectors make recommendations arising from their evaluation of provision in a school. It is the responsibility of the Board of Management of a school to ensure that recommendations are addressed. Where recommendations relate to matters which are mandatory, and where a school does not address such matters, the Schools Division of the Department may follow-up with the Board or Patron of the school to ensure that the matter is addressed. The Inspectorate does not have powers to enforce recommendations made in inspection reports.