Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

885. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has issued guidance to schools regarding the use of preferred pronouns and names for children identifying as transgender; if parents or guardians are required to be informed or consulted before such changes are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59858/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

886. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has reviewed the available clinical evidence relating to social transition in children, including the use of preferred pronouns and names in schools; and the safeguarding measures which are in place to ensure that school practices are consistent with evidence-based child welfare standards. [59859/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

887. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidance which is provided to teachers on the use of gender pronouns in the classroom; the way in which her Department ensures that teachers are not placed in positions of conflict or undue influence in matters relating to a child's gender identity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59860/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

888. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidance or direction her Department provides to primary and secondary schools regarding the use of bathrooms and changing rooms by pupils who identify as transgender; whether schools are required to allow a child to use the facilities corresponding to their gender identity where gender-neutral options do not exist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59861/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

889. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which schools are being supported to balance respect for all students with safeguarding responsibilities and parental rights in cases where a child requests to use a different name or pronoun; her Departments current policy on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59862/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

892. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has reviewed the findings of a review (details supplied) which recommended an abundance of caution in the approach to gender-questioning children; and the way in which her Department is ensuring that Irish schools adopt a balanced, evidence-based approach to gender identity issues in line with child safeguarding and wellbeing principles. [59865/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

896. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which her Department ensures that all guidance provided to teachers, including marking schemes and curriculum toolkits, prioritises balanced, evidence-based education, reflects the broad interests of pupils, and respects child safeguarding and parental rights; and the steps her Department is taking to ensure that curriculum content, school programmes, and exam marking schemes are evidence-based, historically and culturally accurate, and free from undue ideological influence. [59869/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

897. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy Action Plan 2025-2026, which states that bullying of LGBTIQ+ young people will be prevented and addressed through the implementation of Cineáltas, will be monitored and evaluated; the specific measures, training, or curricular materials being introduced in schools under this objective; whether parents were consulted on the content or approach; and the way in which her Department ensures that such initiatives remain balanced, age-appropriate, and in line with child safeguarding and parental rights. [59870/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

898. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the budget allocation for the implementation of Cineáltas under the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy Action Plan 2025-2026; which schools, staff, or external agencies are responsible for delivering the programme; the oversight, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms in place to ensure the initiative is age-appropriate, evidence-based, and respects parental rights; and the way in which her Department ensures that funds are used transparently and effectively to prevent and address bullying in schools. [59871/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

899. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has undertaken any review or assessment of current practices in Ireland regarding the care, support, and guidance provided to children experiencing gender dysphoria, in light of the findings of the Cass Review in England, which recommended an abundance of caution; and the steps being taken to ensure that Irish practice in both HSE services and schools is evidence-based, prioritises child safeguarding, considers long-term outcomes including detransition cases, and provides balanced information to children and families. [59873/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

900. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to implement the findings of the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy 2024-2028 consultation, which highlighted the need for measures (details supplied). [59874/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

903. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking in view of the Cass Review (England) (details supplied); the measures being taken to ensure that Irish healthcare and education practices are evidence-based, fully safeguarded, and transparent, that parents are fully informed, and that child wellbeing and long-term outcomes are prioritised. [59878/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

904. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has reviewed current practices in Ireland regarding the care, support, and guidance provided to children experiencing gender dysphoria, in view of the Cass Review in England (details supplied). [59879/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

905. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the information that is provided to parents of pupils regarding the use of gender-neutral bathrooms and changing rooms, and the accommodation of pupils who identify as transgender; whether parents are consulted or informed when such accommodations are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59880/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

906. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has reviewed current practices in Ireland regarding the care, support, and guidance provided to children experiencing gender dysphoria, in view of the Cass Review in England (details supplied). [59881/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

907. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is are aware of research and evidence (details supplied) which outlines the theoretical underpinnings of gender identity theory and reports harm experienced by thousands internationally; and the steps being taken to ensure that Irish healthcare services and schools provide evidence-based, balanced information, that children and families are fully informed of potential risks, and that child safeguarding and parental rights are prioritised. [59882/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

908. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the policies or guidance her Department has issued to schools regarding the recognition and facilitation of identity trends or subcultures among pupils; the way in which schools are advised to balance these trends with parental involvement and child welfare; whether any funding or curriculum support is provided to schools in relation to these trends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59883/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

909. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to ensure that Irish healthcare and education practices prioritise evidence-based, safeguarded, and transparent approaches for children's wellbeing in view of the Cass Review (England) (details supplied); and the steps being taken to ensure that parents are fully informed of programme content, that it is implemented with parental oversight, and that all school programmes, healthcare practices, and curriculum materials are balanced, evidence-based, and in line with child safeguarding principles. [59884/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 885 to 889, inclusive, 892, 896 to 900, inclusive, and 903 to 909, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, commits the Government to improving the lives and protecting the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in Ireland and globally.

The vision set out in my department’s Statement of Strategy is one of a world class education system where every child and young person is supported and nurtured to achieve their full potential. My department focuses on fostering inclusion for all children and young people in our schools and youth services, ensuring all are valued and involved in shaping their education and development experiences.

The deputy is asked to note that responsibility for the LGBTIQ+ National Strategy rests with my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality and matters relating to health and medical treatment are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Health.

Wellbeing

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) offer training and guidance for teachers in the provision of universal and targeted evidence-informed approaches and early intervention to promote children’s wellbeing, social, emotional and academic development.

A systematic literature review has been carried out by Mary Immaculate College on behalf of the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA) to support the development of a specification for Wellbeing. NCCA also worked in partnership with Hub na nÓg and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, to consult with children on the future of Physical Education (PE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) as part of the curriculum area of Wellbeing.

Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying is my department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools. Bullying can be overt or subtle and can be racial, homophobic, disability-related or based on any form of difference. Bullying, regardless of form or type, can have an impact on mental health.

Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying behaviour including cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. It is centred on a child rights-based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour in our schools.

An extensive consultation process informed Cineáltas, including engagements with 170 children and young people from a wide variety of backgrounds, as well as focus groups with school staff and boards of management. Over 4,000 responses to a public questionnaire and 78 written submissions were received. In addition, there was direct engagement with children and young people, parents and staff, as well as education partners including staff unions and management bodies.

Cineáltas incorporates each of the nine components of UNESCO’s Whole Education Approach to prevent and address bullying behaviour. It is rooted in four key principles: prevention, support, oversight and community. Implementation of Cineáltas is well advanced.

One of the more significant actions under Cineáltas is to update the 2013 Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. This action has been completed with the publication, on 19 June 2024, of Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. These updated procedures were developed in collaboration with the education partners, including the National Parents Council, and are heavily informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, Board of Management members and the wider education community.

The Bí Cineálta procedures support a partnership approach where all members of the school community work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour. The procedures have been updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. They support schools to develop clear strategies to prevent and address these bullying behaviours. The Bí Cineálta procedures must be implemented in schools from the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year.

The full budget allocation for Cineáltas for 2025 is €639,469 and is not broken down over specific actions.

Parents

Parents are a critical stakeholder in our education system. Parents’ views contribute to a wide range of policies and other developments across my department.

The website curriculumonline.ie provides all curriculum documentation and supporting material for the Irish curriculum for children from the ages 1-6 (Aistear), pupils from the ages 5-12 (primary), students from the ages 12-15 (junior cycle) and the ages 16-18 (senior cycle). A dedicated page provides information about the redeveloped primary school curriculum which parents can access, in addition to guidance on how parents can support their child’s learning in the home.

In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of classes which are contrary to the conscience of the parent if they so wish. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.

The manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned. The school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc.

The National Parents Council is a national representative body for parents of children in primary and post-primary education and plays an important role as a channel of communication between parents and my department. My department provides annual funding to the National Parents Council to support this work and its work to support parents’ associations in schools. My department also provides annual funding to the National Parents Council to provide anti-bullying training for parents.

My department is also progressing the Charter Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The aim of the Charter Bill is to improve the level of engagement between all members of the school community by inviting feedback, comments and observation from the school community and by further developing a listening culture in schools. One of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities. The Bill will also provide for national complaints procedures for parents and students.

Guidance for Schools

Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school on behalf of the patron and the principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school. Individual school authorities are responsible for drawing up and implementing school policies including policies in relation of access to facilities.

My department provides a broad range of resources to support schools to develop positive whole-school approaches and to be inclusive of everyone in the school community.

In 2016, my department published a resource for post-primary schools – Being LGBT in School in order to provide assistance for schools in designing their policies. It provides guidance to support key individuals as they fulfil their responsibilities in ensuring that their school is safe, supportive and affirming of all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, students perceived to be LGBTIQ+ and students who have close family members (parents, siblings, etc.) who are LGBTIQ+. It offers guidance around the use of pronouns in the post-primary school setting.

This resource is currently under independent review by Maynooth University, and it is intended that an updated resource, in line with best practice, will be issued to schools once the review is complete. The review seeks to update and frame the key areas of the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice, rather than on gender identity theories.

In addition to the above, my department has provided funding towards the annual BelongTo Stand Up Awareness Campaign since 2013. The objective is to prevent and tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools, increase respect for diversity and LGBTIQ+ identities and reduce the potential for mental health difficulties among LGBTIQ+ students.

My department recommends that the formulation of such school policies should allow for prior consultation with teachers, parents and students and enable any concerns to be raised and considered.

In the primary school setting, guidance for teachers developed by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Transgender, will be updated in line with the post-primary resource once it is finalised.

School Curriculum

The curriculum is for all learners regardless of race, religion, background, gender or orientation. It is the aim of my department that every child and young person has access to equitable education, feeling safe and happy in an inclusive and welcoming school environment, at every stage.

Gender identity is not part of the learning outcomes at primary. At post-primary, the SPHE curriculum supports pupils’ learning in the areas of inclusion and diversity. In the context of social, economic, cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity, it seeks to foster in the learner attitudes and behaviours that are characterised by understanding, empathy, and mutual respect. One of the aims of the SPHE curriculum is to enable the learner to respect human and cultural diversity and to appreciate and understand the interdependent nature of the world.

The updated Junior Cycle SPHE, which was introduced to schools in September 2023, includes four strands: Understanding Myself and Others, Making Healthy Choices, Relationships and Sexuality, and Emotional Wellbeing. Among the learning outcomes of the Relationships and Sexuality strand is that students should be able to “appreciate the breadth of what constitutes human sexuality, and how sexual orientation and gender identity are experienced and expressed in many ways”. Other learning outcomes are that students should be able to “recognise the factors and influences that shape young people’s self-identity, such as family, peers, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnic background, dis/abilities, religious beliefs/world-views”, and to “discuss experiences/situations of bias, inequality or exclusion and devise ways to actively create more inclusive environments”.

Following significant public consultation, I recently approved the NCCA’s newly developed Senior Cycle SPHE specification. The updated SPHE specification is designed as a mandatory component to support 60 hours of teaching and learning over two years, reflecting the importance of SPHE for young people at this stage in their post-primary education. Schools have until September 2027 to introduce the specification for students entering fifth year, to allow for the necessary training and capacity building within the system.

There are three strands within this specification, Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Sexuality and Into Adulthood. Learning outcomes include that students should be able to “examine how both positive and harmful attitudes around gender are perpetuated in the media, online, and in society and discuss strategies for challenging and changing harmful attitudes and narratives”. In regard to the Relationships and Sexuality strand, the specification notes that each of the learning outcomes below should be taught in a way that LGBTIQ+ identities, relationships and families are fully integrated.