Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Students have told me it is a fantastic resource.

Many people raise similar issues. It is the general experience that teachers, for whatever reason, are uncomfortable teaching this subject. They do not like it, they are not trained and there is not enough time in the day. The Irish Family Planning Association and Foróige, among others, deliver their own modules or their own support. Would an answer to this be to provide funding to outside groups, such as these groups, subject to being suitably quality controlled, to provide more of what they already do? We have teachers who do not like doing this and who do not feel equipped. The NCCA, with all due respect to it, takes forever to deal with this and it does not react quickly to changes, etc. The curriculum that is there is 20 years old. The NCCA has to deal with leaving certificate and junior certificate reform, etc. Would that be a way to do this? I am sure the witnesses will say they would be delighted. Perhaps some of those who are not involved in Foróige or the Family Planning Association might give their views on that? Would that be something that could help in the short term?

I would like to ask Dr. Ging about phones. I have a bee in my bonnet about phones and want to ban them, or smart phones at any rate, in schools up to junior certificate level. Will she expand on where she thinks mobile phones come into this particular curriculum because she mentioned it? The current programme does not deal with mobile phones. Could she give a brief outline? I do not need detailed answers. I already got "Yes" and "No" answers to my first questions.