Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I agree wholeheartedly with the overarching principle that the Deputy has articulated on the need to eliminate all forms of violence against women and to create the policies and the mechanisms for the delivery of those policies to achieve that. As I said, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, has been working, to be fair, over the last 12 months on an overarching national strategy for domestic violence, sexual violence and gender-based violence more generally. That should be completed by early March. In addition to that, the Minister will be taking the lead role not just in policy but in the provision of services. That includes the allocation of funding for more refuge places. Better than that will be a more focused, stand-alone provision, which will not necessarily be through the existing system for the provision of centres but rather a more focused departmental-led approach.

That will get things done much faster in terms of provision. I assure the Deputy that it will not be an issue of capital resources when providing additional places and centres, or the ongoing wraparound services that will be required for children in such circumstances.

On relationships and sexuality education, I believe and agree that it should not be ethos-based - that is without question - and that a national curriculum should be implemented irrespective of the patronage of a school. However, a legislative approach alone is not adequate at all because the more important issue is that relationships and sexuality education requires capacity supports in schools for those who teach and provide the curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been engaged for quite some time in a fundamental review of the junior certificate syllabus on relationships and sexuality. That is coming to a conclusion. I met the Minister for Education a fortnight ago, ahead of this year's programme, and asked that we accelerate consideration of the senior cycle.

When I say "capacity", I am also referring to the teacher training college level. There should be modules on relationships and sexuality as a core part of the overall curriculum in our teacher training colleges. That is particularly important in those years. I also put forward the idea that there should perhaps be a post of responsibility in every school and that this person would have the authority and responsibility to deliver the programme throughout the school. There would have to be very comprehensive in-service programmes for teachers in primary and second level schools because that is where there have been challenges. I was involved in the original introduction of relationships and sexuality education in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and have monitored, watched and evaluated how it has progressed. With all curriculum change, the most fundamental prerequisite is comprehensive investment in teachers through continuing professional development as well as the original education through teacher training colleges.

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