Ms Aoife Rush:

Yes. I can give the committee a sense of the curriculum development process. In the context of any new subject, particularly when starting from scratch, we develop a background paper and brief. A background paper and brief more or less sets out the context for the subject. In the case of the climate action and sustainable development subject, it looked at where education for sustainable development is currently in the curriculum. It looked at continuity from primary education into post-primary education and onto third level. It also looked at what is happening in other jurisdictions. It gave an in-depth analysis in terms of four or five jurisdictions and set out a number of considerations. With that background paper, we also consulted with young people to see what their issues are. The background paper is informed by what we hear on the ground and in that context, we visited four schools and spoke directly to teachers and young people. The background paper goes out for further consultation which gives an opportunity for stakeholders, the public, teachers and students to give further feedback on it. In that way, before we even begin the curriculum development process, we have a sense of what the real key considerations are going into that. That is the basis by which we have a development group meeting. Developments groups are made up of representatives across a number of stakeholders. We feel it creates quite a robust process with a lot of deliberation and discussion. Over the course of a number of meetings, we develop the draft specification.

To go back to the Deputy's question, when we are starting from scratch, the process starts with that background paper and consultation.