Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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287. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider expanding water safety education in second-level schools, particularly for coastal counties, including County Kerry, to ensure students receive age-appropriate information on riptides, currents and coastal hazards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66767/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Access to water safety education is currently available to students at Junior and Senior Cycle. At Junior Cycle all students undertaking a level 3 programme study a Physical Education specification designed for 135 hours engagement over the three years of Junior Cycle. The course 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. Aquatics is one of the physical activities included in the specification, which are the instrumental medium for students to achieve learning outcomes. One of these outcomes is that students should be able to: “Demonstrate an understanding of personal survival and water safety considerations”.

It is worth noting that other short courses can also be developed by schools themselves or by other bodies, using a template provided by the NCCA. It is therefore open to a school or other body to develop a targeted short course in Aquatics for use in schools. Further details on how to develop a short course for Junior Cycle can be accessed at the following link: .

In the Leaving Certificate Physical Education specification, learners’ physically active participation is central to teaching and learning. To enable this to happen, students learn about the different theoretical perspectives through their participation in three different physical activities. These activities are selected from six distinct physical activity areas which reflect the activities more commonly included in school physical education programmes currently. In the Physical Activity area, Aquatics students learn about water-based activities that utilise swimming and/or diving skills and techniques for performance water safety, or recreational purposes. Learners may choose one of the following activities: lifesaving, survival swimming, swimming strokes, water-polo, synchronised swimming.

The Physical Education curricula at both primary and post-primary 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. However, it is recognised that the particular context of the school, the physical education programme it can facilitate and the level of community facilities will have a bearing on the level of choice that can be managed. The physical education teacher, in consultation with the learners, will agree the range of activities that can be accommodated and supported for Physical Education. In relation to physical education facilities, many schools have PE halls and practically all schools have outdoor play areas. In addition, many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. Access to these facilities is arranged directly by schools and the Department is not involved in these arrangements.

It can be noted that Water Safety Ireland has produced a range of relevant resources to assist schools with providing education in relation to water safety. These are available at the following link: .