Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I had to chair a meeting. I thank the Chairman for explaining that to our guests. I read the written submissions in advance of the meeting and managed to catch the end of Ms McGowan's presentation. What I found quite striking was the fact that SPHE is the only post-primary subject for which there is no professional, accredited qualification. That is quite shocking and it certainly explains why teachers would feel uncomfortable. It seems unfair to both students and teachers alike and it also goes some way to explaining the difficulties around RSE timetabling. It has become a difficulty for principals, in truth. They are faced with trying to squash it in and selecting a poor, unfortunate teacher to teach it. That is the way it is treated in schools, which is shocking given its importance for our children.

It is appalling. On the issue of ethos, I do not know how to reconcile the delivery of relationships and sexuality education in line with the ethos of the school with a circular being issued to schools instructing them to ensure RSE is objective and does not withhold or censor. There is a little confusion for school management.

My question for Dr. Debbie Ging relates to the research that has been done. She said the Department of Education and Skills and HSE have commissioned the survey. Is the survey related purely to the experience of the teachers, parents and students with how RSE is taught in schools or has it been widened to ascertain young people's thoughts, experiences, knowledge and what they feel is needed with regard to relationships, sexuality and consent?

A question for all the witnesses relates to age appropriate material. How do we determine what is age appropriate so that we the age right and do not deliver RSE too early or late? How is that ascertained or determined? Do some schools have an RSE policy in place while others do not? How does that work? Why do some schools have a policy while others do not? After a whole-school evaluation of management, leadership and learning, or MLL as it is known, has been completed, do inspectors comment on the merits of the school's RSE policy or ask why it does not have an RSE policy in place? Has the Department highlighted this in any way? Do we know what the position is regarding feedback from inspections? It seems bizarre not to have a policy on RSE.