Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 459 of 18 May 2021, if her attention has been drawn to an issue in a number of schools whereby parents are seeking to object to the teaching of a programme (details supplied) by opting out of these lessons leaving their children to feel excluded; her views in relation to the merits of this programme.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30107/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Choices regarding educational materials, textbooks and other educational products and services are made by individual schools and their boards of management, not by my Department. Schools have the autonomy to choose whatever resources they feel supports the delivery of the curriculum in their school. My Department does not endorse products or services from individual, commercial or other providers.

Schools are required to teach all aspects of the RSE programme, including family planning, sexually transmitted infections and sexual orientation. It is important to note that the ethos of the school should never preclude learners from acquiring the knowledge about the issues, but ethos may influence how that content is treated.

With the exception of Religion, which is addressed in circular letters 0013/18 and 0062/18, the matter of alternative provisions for pupils/student who are ‘opting out’ of any subject are dealt with locally, at the school level.