Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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950. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if student organisations (details supplied) have been included to date and will be included in the future in the work being done to reform relationship sexuality education and social, personal and health education curricula respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29189/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Students have been centrally involved in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in Irish schools that began in 2018 and continue to be involved in consultations regarding an updated curriculum. As part of the consultation process that formed a key part of the review of RSE, NCCA met with student groups including the ISSU, Comhairle na nOg groups and representatives from LGBTQ youth groups. In addition, focus group meetings were held with children and young people across 23 schools, representing a diversity of types of schools – both primary and post-primary. And finally, as part of the review, more than 500 students contributed their views via an online consultation questionnaire. The full report from the review is available on the NCCA's website: ncca.ie

ncca.ie/media/4319/report-on-the-review-of-relationships-and-sexuality-education-rse-in-primary-and-post-primary-schools.pdf.

Since then, the work of the curriculum development groups has continued to be informed by ongoing consultations with young people. Specifically, focus group consultations were conducted in school settings to inform the background paper for an updated Junior Cycle Social, Personal and Health Education curriculum, of which RSE is a component, and students were consulted again when the background paper was published. The consultation report on the background paper and brief for the review of Junior Cycle SPHE is also available at ncca.ie.

Relationship Sexuality Education; RSE (ncca.ie)

There will be further consultations with students in the Autumn as part of the consultation on the draft updated Junior Cycle specification – this will involve both face-to-face meetings and gathering feedback via online tools. Ongoing consultation with children and young people also forms a key part of the work as developments progress at primary and senior cycle levels.

Furthermore, I recently introduced secondary legislation which ensures that the ISSU is now represented on the NCCA Council.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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951. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the length of time that the preparation of a background paper for the senior cycle social, personal and health education/relationship sexuality education development is expected to take; the expected timeline for the senior cycle RSE/SPHE specification redevelopment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29190/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education, or RSE, is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education across primary and post-primary schools.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was requested to conduct a review of RSE provision in Irish schools, focusing on a range of topics including healthy positive, sexual expression and relationships and LGBTQ+ matters. The NCCA published “The Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary schools” in December, 2019.

This report resulted in the NCCA establishing two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work of developing an updated curriculum materials in this area and supporting the development of guidance material for schools.

Work in preparing a background paper that will inform the updating of senior cycle SPHE/RSE is underway. This paper will be finalised and presented to Council for approval for consultation in September 2022. The curriculum redevelopment work will commence Sept 2022 and a draft updated specification for senior cycle SPHE will be ready for public consultation by summer 2023 and finalised early 2024 for implementation in schools September 2024.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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952. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the exact timeline for the public consultation which is due to take place following the expected agreement of the draft revised junior cycle relationship sexuality education/social, personal and health specification by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Council this summer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29191/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education, or RSE, is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education across primary and post-primary schools.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was requested to conduct a review of RSE provision in Irish schools, focusing on a range of topics including healthy positive, sexual expression and relationships and LGBTQ+ matters. The NCCA published “The Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary schools” in December, 2019.

This report resulted in the NCCA establishing two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work of developing an updated curriculum materials in this area and supporting the development of guidance material for schools.

The public consultation on the draft updated junior cycle SPHE specification will run from early July to October. The focus during the early period of the consultation will be on gathering feedback from non-government organisations (NGOs), agencies, support services and individuals with interest or expertise in this area. During the period from September to October the consultation will particularly focus on gathering feedback from teachers, students and parents. All the data gathered during the consultation will be summarised in a report which will inform any final changes needed to the draft specification. It is expected that the finalised specification will be presented to Council for approval early 2023, and subject to my approval, will be implemented in schools Sept 2023.