Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to diocesan advisers visiting primary schools across the country to monitor and evaluate a programme (details supplied); if these advisers are vetted and checked by his Department; if the attention of the parents of children attending these schools are drawn to the visits beforehand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24461/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that religious education is one of the seven curricular areas of the Primary Curriculum (1999) and primary schools are currently required to allocate thirty minutes per day for religious instruction. However, unlike other subject areas, the content of the religious curriculum provided by schools is not set by the Department of Education and Skills. The Education Act recognises the rights of the different church authorities to design curricula in religious education and to supervise their teaching and implementation. This means that the content of the religious education programme in a particular primary school is determined by the patron of the school.

In relation to Garda vetting, the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) was commenced by my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality in April of last year and put in place certain statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons.   When the vetting requirements were commenced last year, my Department issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures.  A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document was also published by the Department to assist schools with queries in respect of the circular.   Responsibility for ensuring that any statutory vetting requirements are met rests with each individual school authority. It is therefore a matter for each school authority to determine, having regard to the particular circumstances in question and the requirements of the Vetting Act, whether any vetting requirement applies in respect of a person or persons undertaking work in the school.