Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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274. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to establish a stream of beginner, novice and advanced swimming lessons as part of primary education. [21165/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The current Physical Education (PE) curriculum at primary level, developed in 1999, is for children from junior infants to sixth class. The curriculum contributes to children’s overall development by helping them to lead full, active and healthy lives. It provides a balanced range of activities for children through the six strands, of which Aquatics is one. The aquatics programme is concerned with gaining competence and confidence near, in, under and on water. The term ‘aquatics’ is used to include not only the teaching of swimming strokes but the provision of opportunities for enjoyment of water play and other aspects of aquatics. The concern for water safety permeates all aquatic activities. However, the PE curriculum has been developed on the understanding that facilities available to schools vary. Consequently, it offers a level of flexibility that allows each individual school to design a programme that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to it.

The Primary Curriculum Framework, was launched on 9th March. It sets out the vision; principles; key competencies; structure; approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment; and suggested time allocations of the new Primary School Curriculum. The framework is for all primary and special schools and introduces and expands aspects of learning and also holds increased emphasis on existing areas such as Physical Education and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) (Wellbeing.

As developments progress, curriculum specifications will be developed for the five curriculum areas and their associated subjects with toolkits provided to support learning, teaching, and assessment One of these areas is wellbeing which includes Physical Education. To support the development of the specification the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will undertake research and consultation with a view to the new specifications being ready for the 2025/2026 school year.

The Physical Education curricula at both primary and second level have been developed on the understanding that facilities available to schools vary. Consequently, they offer a level of flexibility that allows each individual school to design a programme that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to it.