Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 July 2021
411. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 334 of 29 June 2021, her views on the setting up of an official channel by her Department with trained persons employed by her Department who systematically visit schools in order to provide young persons with essential lifesaving skills (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37459/21]
View answerAs you are aware, there are no plans at present to introduce First Aid into the curriculum.
Choices regarding educational materials, textbooks and other educational products and services are made by individual schools and their boards of management, not by my Department. Schools are free to choose whatever resources they feel supports the delivery of the curriculum in their school.
My Department provides clear guidance to schools on the engagement of outside speakers and on the use of external resources to assist in delivering the curriculum. These guidelines are most recently outlined in updated circular 0042/2018 for primary schools and 0043/2018 for post primary schools.
These can be found at the following Links:
0042/2018 Primary Circular
0043/2018 Post Primary Circular
Where an outside speaker is engaged by a school, he or she should be engaged in the context of delivering a planned and comprehensive programme in the school. He or she should not be brought in to replace the school programme but to enhance it.
