Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to update the relationships and sexuality education teaching resource material; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57254/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In April 2018, then Minister for Education and Skills Mr. Richard Bruton asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to undertake a major review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools across all stages of education to ensure that it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of young people today in modern Ireland. The NCCA advises the Department and Minister in relation to the curriculum to be taught in schools.

The Final Report on the Review of RSE in Primary and Post-primary Schoolswas published by the NCCA in December, 2019.

While the SPHE curriculum overall is being redeveloped across all age-groups, this will take time and there is an ongoing need to support schools in providing positive, inclusive, and comprehensive RSE.

In the interim, the NCCA has established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work in this area and support the development of guidance material for schools. The immediate focus of the work is on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of the Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit's purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum. This work is progressing well and with sections of the toolkit (a portal repository of teaching and learning resources linked to the Primary SPHE Curriculum, the SPHE Junior Cycle Short Course and Senior Cycle SPHE Framework). The Council has been collaborating with the PDST, Junior Cycle for Teachers and the Health Service Executive to see how these resources can be used to support CPD provision in this area. The teaching resources can be found at and on the NCCA SPHE toolkits at

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of introducing legislation to create an inclusive relationships and sexuality education programme as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57314/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle.

All schools are required to have an RSE policy that is developed in consultation with the school community, including school management, parents, teachers and students as appropriate. The school’s programme for Relationship and Sexuality Education is developed and taught in the context of the school’s RSE policy. Schools are required to teach all aspects of the RSE programme, including family planning 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.

My Department continues to work closely with the NCCA to best give effect to the commitment in the Programme for Government to develop inclusive and age-appropriate RSE and SPHE curricula across primary and post-primary levels, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships. The work of the NCCA draws on its report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary schools, which was published in December 2019. Arising from recommendations in that report the NCCA has been publishing online learning resources to support teaching and learning linked to the current SPHE/RSE curriculum in schools. The resources in this online toolkit include guidance on how to create a more inclusive classroom. As well as these updated online learning resources the NCCA has recently begun work on draft Junior Cycle SPHE specifications. It is expected that a revised specification will be completed by the end of 2022, following a period of public consultation. This will be followed by the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle and Primary curricula.

My Department continues to work closely with the NCCA to determine the approach to best give effect to the commitment regarding SPHE and RSE in the Programme for Government. Should any legislative changes be required in this context I am committed to making such changes.