Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because I will not repeat what I have said and will certainly not repeat the contributions made. As usual, valuable input has been provided, bringing this debate to the right place, that is, to the centre not just of maturity but also of normality. We have a duty in this regard to ensure we put in place the proper curriculum that meets the needs of 21st-century Ireland. As for the questions about legislation, including legislating for ethos and so on, let us now focus on the consultation period, right up to 25 October. It is great to get the opportunity in Dáil Éireann, and to have got it in Seanad Éireann last night, to put the date out there again and I encourage people to use that consultation mechanism. We will produce the guidelines before the end of the year and then address issues surrounding ethos, legislation and whatever else needs to be done after that. No decision whatsoever has been made, but we have entered a period of mature debate. It was the same in the Seanad last night. Yes, there are different perspectives - that is the wonderful world in which we live - but we have to ensure that our young people are equipped with the proper information and, as many Members pointed out, that our teachers have the capacity to do this. We have the infrastructure and continuous professional development forums to do it through our education centres. We just have to keep moving on it. The most important point of support in reaching out to experience is that of the teachers, including those who have been involved in this and have been the practitioners over the past 20 years.

Once again, ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas agus m'aitheantas a ghabháil do Chathaoirleach agus do bhaill an choiste, fá choinne a ndíograis i leith an ábhair seo. Tá dúil mhór agam san toradh i ndiaidh an chomharlacháin agus an treoir maidir leis an NCCA.

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