Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Neville, Ms Exton and Mr. Byrne. It is quite refreshing to have the ISSU statement in here. That is the language I am more used to in everyday life. It is good to see it on the record in the Houses of the Oireachtas. They are very welcome. I was probably most expert about the curriculum and school when I was there. When a student leaves school and as the years progress, the student gradually forgets. It has been very powerful to observe the role of the ISSU during Covid and the pandemic and now on these issues and, as Senator O'Reilly said, on climate action. The future is bright.

Mr. Byrne has just touched on what I always come back to, which is the NCCA review and the responses of students. I always read their responses into the record because they are the most important for me. Students were unanimous about the importance of RSE. They were conscious that while friends and the Internet are sources of information, piecing information together from these sources has shortcomings. Students also showed real allyship with LGBT kids and their peers in schools in respect of the shortcomings of the curriculum in that regard.

The Minister, Deputy Harris, was here last week and I look forward to the Minister, Deputy Foley, coming in as well. The Minister, Deputy Harris, talked about the parent as the primary educator. That is fine but LGBT young people can be very good at hiding their identities and sexual orientations and passing as straight at times out of necessity rather than desire. A parent can be the best primary educator in the world and not realise there is an LGBT kid in the house. It is very important that the ISSU is fighting for LGBT kids and young people, including non-binary young people. Has the ISSU had any engagement with the Minister for Education on these issues?

I then have a question for Mr. Byrne. What are the blockages to an accredited social, personal and health education, SPHE, learning pathway for teachers?