Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

11 o’clock

I am particularly pleased to see the inclusion of a Citizens’ Assembly on the future of education in the programme for Government. Experience internationally and here at home of citizens' assemblies as exercises in deliberative democracy have been extremely positive. Ireland is considered a leader in the use of deliberative democracy processes, having convened three in recent years, namely the Convention on the Constitution 2012 to 2014, the Citizens’ Assembly 2016 to 2018 and the ongoing Citizens' Assembly on gender equality which commenced in 2019. The first two exercises led to referendums being held on four issues, namely, reducing the age threshold for presidential candidates, marriage equality, removal of the offence of blasphemy and the eighth amendment.

Typically, Citizens' Assemblies have been established by individual Oireachtas resolutions which have set out their terms of reference. I understand that initial proposals to hold a Citizens' Assembly on education have been informed by proposals from the Burren College of Art, which called for the assembly to examine issues such as how to properly position post-primary education for the 21st century and how to encourage greater creativity, student agency and resilience. My three-year strategy and annual implementation plan will incorporate priority actions from the programme for Government, including the Citizens' Assembly on the future of education. I aim to publish this strategy later this year.

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