Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If I may speak, that is, the proposed specifications for the curriculum are due to be published in the coming weeks. It is appropriate that they go to public consultation. It is very important - and I have reiterated this a number of times - that there be an opportunity for everyone to engage across all the different levels and to feed into the specifications, whether parents, the student voice, which we have spoken of the importance of, or wider society. The specifications are due to be published shortly, in the coming weeks. They will follow public consultation, and implementation for the junior cycle will be in 2023, as we have already said. At senior cycle, work on following a similar approach has already commenced, and there will be the initial scoping work to be done. The development group is then charged with moving this on. We are looking at that work being fulfilled beginning now and into 2023, with an intention, if at all possible, of implementation in 2024. Again, I have very clearly given the date. I gave it in my opening remarks and we have given it consistently. The primary school curriculum framework will be published in 2023 and, thereafter, subject specifications. Deputy Carroll MacNeill has clear guidelines of dates in respect of 2023 and 2024 across RSE and SPHE. Equally, in the interim, we have been very clear that supports are required within our schools and we have put those supports in place. They cross a wide variety of areas, including, as I said, consent and domestic and gender-based violence. Those toolkits of support for our staff are there and include CPD and the further step we are taking to make the postgraduate diploma available to our staff.