Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank those who have proposed this Bill which addresses an important matter that my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, has moved to address. The provision of sex education is an issue of concern. That it was the subject of an ancillary recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly when it considered the eighth amendment of the Constitution is a reflection of this. It was also the subject of a recommendation in the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. The Joint Committee on Education and Skills recently invited submissions on its review of sexual health and relationships education, including contraception, consent and related matters.

One of the concerns underlying the tabling of this Private Members' Bill is that school ethos is, in some cases, preventing full and impartial delivery of the relationships and sexuality education, RSE, curriculum. This is one of the reasons a major review of RSE in schools will be carried out by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. The NCCA review will address the full breadth of the issues raised, including the content of the RSE curriculum and support materials and the delivery of that curriculum in schools. It will cover the impact of school ethos and a wide range of other issues. I am sure the NCCA will consider the issues raised when it carries out its review. The findings of the review will be of assistance in the formulation of a comprehensive and considered response to those findings.

We all recognise that RSE in this country must be fit for purpose and must meet the needs of young people in modern Ireland. There are numerous factors at play here. The Bill we are debating focuses mainly on the impact school ethos can have on how the RSE curriculum is delivered. There is a great deal of uncertainty about what is currently taught in schools during RSE lessons. At present, schools are obliged to teach all elements of the RSE curriculum. No element of it can be omitted on the grounds of school ethos or characteristic spirit. As we heard earlier, every student in the Irish school system has a right to access information about sexual health, relationships and sexuality. This must be delivered in a factual manner regardless of the ethos or characteristic spirit of the school. Schools are required to teach the full RSE programme. Topics in social, personal and health education, SPHE, and RSE are dealt with and addressed in an age-appropriate manner at all levels.

We should acknowledge the commitment of teachers and recognise their professional expertise in dealing with a difficult topic. Extensive resource materials to support implementation of the curriculum are available to schools. This work has been done in partnership with other Departments and agencies, including the HSE, the Gay and Lesbian Education Network and the crisis pregnancy programme. There are some excellent resources available to teachers to support them in delivering the relationships and sexuality education, RSE, curriculum.

The TRUST, or talking, relationships, understanding sexuality teaching, resource developed by the HSE may be used to supplement the RSE curriculum at senior cycle. The resource focuses on consent through the topics of loving relationships, intimacy, assertive communication, understanding boundaries, communicating boundaries without consent and when sexual assault becomes a reality. The Department of Education and Skills works closely with the Department of Health and the HSE on the development of enhanced resources to assist the teaching of RSE in schools. The development of the LGBTI youth strategy is a key commitment for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the programme for Government and it also makes a contribution towards the Government's broader commitment to continue to strive for full inclusion of LGBT people in Ireland. The Department of Education and Skills is inputting into that process.

Curricular provision of social, personal and health education, SPHE, RSE across primary and post-primary level is aimed at ensuring topics are covered in an age-appropriate manner. As the Minister has stated, it is now time to review the content and the delivery of relationships and sexuality education. The primary level SPHE curriculum used in schools was published in 1999 and the SPHE curriculum framework for junior cycle was published in 2000. Of course, we must also acknowledge the role parents play in the education of their children. The RSE provided in schools, coupled with education provided at home by parents, is associated with the best outcomes for students.

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