Yesterday, a school in Wicklow made headlines after details of its relationships and sexuality education programme came to light detailing the deliberate and conscious aim to exclude and erase LGBTQI+ people and their community. To quote from a document shared with parents from that school, teachers do not cover topics such as contraception and same-sex friendships, and children who ask questions in class on content outside the designated curriculum are encouraged to discuss the issue with their parents. Last week's INTO conference heard that LGBTQI+ teachers continue to live in fear of being themselves in Catholic schools. A recent survey conducted by that organisation found that fewer than one in five LGBTQI+ teachers are "out" to staff, parents and pupils at their school.

In a modern republic, we must have relationships and sexuality education that is informed by best practice, science and healthcare, not religious dogma. We brought legislation through last year and the Taoiseach said it will come back for a Second Reading in nine months. Is that still on track or will the Government bring forward its own legislation to tackle this issue?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue with me. Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. I do not want to single out any particular school and I do not have the full details in regard to it. From the Government’s perspective, we are updating relationships and sexuality education and the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum for primary, junior cycle and senior cycle. They are being developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. A revised junior cycle specification will be completed by the end of 2022, followed by updated senior cycle and primary specifications. On 19 April, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, announced her intention to provide funding for a new postgraduate programme to upskill registered post-primary teachers teaching social, personal and health education and relationships and sexuality education. In essence, the updating and modernisation of the curriculum is the key essential there, as is the provision of continued professional development to the teachers to deliver this.