Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully supportive of measures to improve educational outcomes for Travellers, which includes ensuring that the school setting is a more welcoming environment. Developing knowledge and understanding of Traveller culture and history in schools will help build a recognition of the important value of Traveller culture and history to this country and help to improve a sense of belonging for Traveller children in schools.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018 is a Private Members Bill which proposed to amend the Education Act 1998 to provide for the inclusion of Traveller culture and history in the curriculum taught by recognised schools in the State.  The Bill was introduced in the Seanad on 3 July 2018. Government proposed amendments to the Bill in the Seanad, and the amended Bill was passed in the Seanad on 16 October 2019. The Bill passed Second Stage in the Dáil on 1 July 2021. On 7  December last, Government approved the issuing of a money message in relation to this Bill to allow it to proceed to Committee stage, for which a date is to be set.

In parallel, work is ongoing by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to support teaching and learning in relation to a knowledge and understanding of Traveller culture and history through the curriculum. 

In 2019, the NCCA published an audit of Traveller culture and history in the curriculum. This provided the foundation for further work, following which Traveller Culture and History Research Report was published by the NCCA in February 2023. It aims to provide an overview of what is currently known and has been recorded regarding the different aspects of Traveller culture and history and is to be used to inform the review and updating/redevelopment of curriculum specifications and the development of new specifications as part of ongoing work across sectors. It will also provide a basis for the development of resources and materials for teachers/practitioners, and inform thinking around intercultural approaches to education more broadly.  This report was developed in collaboration with an expert group comprising members of the Traveller community and Traveller representatives as part of the NCCA’s commitment to developing resources and materials for schools and early childhood settings.

It is also important to note that the NCCA has also commenced a review of the Intercultural Guidelines for primary and post-primary schools, in order to support the further integration of intercultural education in the curriculum, which will link in with relevant aspects of culture and history included in the research report.