Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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804. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of hours per week of physical education class should secondary school children participate in under the curriculums for junior cycle and senior cycle level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31686/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In Junior Cycle, Physical Education is recognised as part of the Wellbeing area of learning as outlined in the Framework for Junior Cycle. Physical Education is allocated a minimum of 135 hours across the three years of Junior Cycle. Schools develop their programme of study based on the physical activity areas of Health Related Activity, Athletics, Adventure Activities, Aquatics, Dance, Gymnastics and Games. A new Junior Cycle Physical Education specification that is designed for a minimum of 135 hours, aligned to the Framework for Junior Cycle, is based on the current NCCA short course and draws from the Junior Cycle Physical Education Syllabus is currently under development by the NCCA. The consultation on the Background Paper and Brief for Junior Cycle Physical Education specification is now open.

At Senior Cycle, PE is available through both the examinable subject, Leaving Certificate PE (LCPE) and the non-examinable subject, Senior Cycle PE. After a phase 1 introduction, any school that wishes to offer LCPE from September 2020 is able to do so. LCPE is designed to be taught in a minimum of 180 hours across 5th and 6th year. A Framework for Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) has been published by the Department and is designed to support teachers in planning quality learning in Physical Education for all students in Senior Cycle. The non-examinable Framework will assist schools in designing a physical education programme for Senior Cycle students, including students who do or do not elect to take Physical Education as a subject for their Leaving Certificate examination. From September 2020, the new Framework replaced the existing guidelines for PE at Senior Cycle. All students in Senior Cycle should be studying SCPE. However, if a student is studying the optional LCPE specification, they are not required to also study the SCPE Framework, although this is not prohibited.