Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know we will have statements on the budget later but I have to express my delight at the announcement this afternoon of the change of the national childcare scheme, NCS, to include projects such as those in the Dublin 8 After School Alliance, including the Robert Emmet Community Development Project and the Solas Project. Those organisations have been advocating for that change because as an unintended consequence of the introduction of the NCS, children in disadvantaged areas in particular were unable to avail of after-school care. Now the criteria have been changed such that this anomaly is over. I also want to pay tribute to the Leader because when she was Minister for Social Protection, she brought in the school meals programme as a pilot for 36 schools and today we have seen it extended. It has been such a great success so I pay tribute to the Leader and to our Fine Gael colleague, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, for the increase in that provision. It was also strongly advocated for by our colleagues, Councillors David McManus and Clodagh Higgins.

I seek a debate on sexual health education in this House. Yesterday was International Day of the Girl Child and Plan International launched its report, KnoWhere To Go. That report detailed from where young people get their information on sexual health, as well as their understanding of consent. In that context, I know the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has done a huge amount of work on consent education at third level but we need a discussion on primary and secondary schools, particularly in light of the fact that some of the school patrons are promoting their own version of sexual education. I would value a debate on that in this House and I am sure it has been called for before.