Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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292. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when she will publish her Department’s new strategy for education for sustainable development. [49571/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and I announced a public consultation on a new strategy for Education for Sustainable Development earlier this year, which was conducted between April and June 2021.

Almost 100 detailed submissions were received in addition to approximately 150 responses to an on-line survey. Officials in both departments are currently working through the detailed submissions to identify the key themes emerging and the actions proposed. We are also engaging with the key stakeholders who will deliver on some of the actions. The Departments are also working with a number of other Departments to identify where policy alignment will be required. An ESD Forum will be held towards the end of November as a final stage of the public consultation process.

Significant work was done under the first ESD Strategy (2014 – 2020) to lay the foundations, integrating ESD into the curriculum, into Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development programmes and into the inspection and assessment processes.

ESD to 2030 will build on this work, in line with UNESCO’s framework for ESD for 2030, which includes five key pillars: Policy Coherence, Transforming Learning and Training Environments, Building Capacity for Educators and Trainers, Empowering and Mobilising Youth and Community Engagement.

It is expected that the new strategy for ESD to 2030 will be published during the first quarter of 2022.