Ms Esther Doyle:

I take the Deputy's concerns. The leaving certificate subjects that are being redeveloped are to be complementary. It is not meant to be indoctrination. We could not have a subject about climate action and sustainable development without considering all of our sectors of business, including agriculture, and the contribution they make in a positive way to our economy. We would be challenged and criticised if we did not include agriculture. In this new subject, we are trying to create thinking young people who can think critically and evaluate the information presented to them in a critical way.

We also want them to weigh it up and make sound political and policy decisions for the future, hopefully, if they want to campaign for whatever side they choose. We are looking at people trying to see the bigger picture, and we are not against the agricultural sector. I want to say very clearly here today that there is no part of this new subject that is anti the agricultural sector. I do not see that at all through the specification, and I hope that would not be the perception anyone would leave this room with today. It is not the intention of this new specification.

I might ask Ms Rush to talk a little about the consultation process. There has been no different process for this project from other ones, and we have streamlined those. I will let Ms Rush describe it to members a bit more.