Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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204. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the procedures regarding lunch times at primary schools, particularly to ensure the children attending have sufficient hygiene and time to eat their food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4981/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is responsible for the day to day running of a school.

Circular 11/95 “Time in School” paragraph 3 states that a typical school day for Junior classes is 4 hours and 40 minutes and Senior classes 5 hours and 40 minutes with appropriate recreation i.e. 30 minutes. Under the Rules for National Schools, forenoon and afternoon breaks of five minutes each are allowed.

Where a recreation interval or break of a longer duration than the foregoing are taken (for example when children are allowed to have lunch in the classroom prior to the official commencement of the recreation interval) the length of the school day must be extended correspondingly.

The arrangement within the recreation interval for pupils to eat their lunch is a matter for each Board of Management to determine. My Department has not issued guidelines to schools in this regard.