Dr. Aoife Neary:

There are two central issues with religious ethos, the first being clarity. There is a need for clarity around exactly how a comprehensive RSE programme can happen in religious-run primary and post-primary schools. I also agree that access to comprehensive RSE is a human right for children.

The other issue, which draws on research by Mary Lou Rasmussen in the Australian context, is the fact that we cannot divorce religion from sexuality. There are many children who are religious, who have religious affiliations or cultural affiliations intermingled with religion and RSE needs to address those issues. There is a requirement for a space where there is open and healthy conversation around providing all of the facts - the comprehensive RSE programme - while also acknowledging the tensions between religion and sexuality. Obviously, it will require very experienced teachers who have the ability to create a safe, ethical, open and respectful space in RSE classrooms for that to happen. It does a disservice to people who are religious to talk about sexuality as somehow separate from that because sexuality is core to humanness.