Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

24. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to issue specific guidelines for time to be set aside for eating and hygiene in primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10928/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Guidance on the time to be set aside for recreation in schools are already set out in my Department’s Circulars to schools. They provide for a recreation break of 30 minutes with additional provision for morning and afternoon breaks.

The arrangements relating to time for recreation and for pupils to eat their lunch is a matter for each Board of Management to determine. These arrangements are dependent on a variety of local factors such as accommodation, staffing, supervision, sequencing of breaks etc. and as such are best left to be managed locally by the school.

Hygiene is one of the topics covered within the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum which is allocated a minimum of 30 minutes a week at all levels of primary school.

SPHE provides the opportunity for children to learn the necessary skills that will equip them to lead healthy lifestyles not just for their time in school but for the rest of their lives.