Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has accused the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, of failing to answer a series of questions submitted by the Meath West TD on the inclusion of “harmful or confusing concepts about gender identity” in a schools programme from the Department.
Deputy Tóibín has asked for a written response to a series of questions regarding the Cinéaltas: Action Plan on Bullying programme being rolled out by Minister McEntee’s Department which aims to tackle bullying including what the programme describes as “gender identity bullying” – which is defined as “behaviour or language that intends to harm a student because of their perceived or actual gender identity”.
The use of school classroom materials to promote aspects of gender ideology – including the idea that gender is fluid, that children can be non-binary, or that sex is assigned at birth – has proven controversial. The interim report from the Cass Review in Britain has said that social transitioning was not a neutral act but “an active intervention”.
The Cinéaltas programme says that the SPHE specification for schools allows “students to examine and consider relationships and human sexuality which can foster an understanding of diversity which may help to reduce gender and identity based bullying as well as sexism and sexual harassment.” It also adds that namecalling which can be regarded as bullying behaviour can include reference to gender identity.
Campaign group Genspect, in an analysis of the programme, said that “with its particular mention of transphobic bullying, the Bí Cineálta framework pushes contested ideas about gender identity to children and encourages, or even insists upon, affirmation of trans identities in school.”
They said this “is in direct contravention of the most up-to-date and comprehensive advice available on the issue. The Cass Review (2024), a landmark report on gender identity services in the UK, concluded that even social transition (e.g. changing names and pronouns) is not a neutral act and may contribute to long-term psychological and developmental consequences. The report recommends a cautious, evidence-based approach to gender distress in children, centred on safeguarding and clinical oversight rather than affirmation.”
“The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland is currently aligning its gender healthcare services with the Cass Review, and the most recent Programme for Government also reflects this shift. Both emphasize the need for clinical evidence, child safeguarding, and restraint in the social or medical transitioning of children,” the Genspect analysis continued.
“In contrast, the Bí Cineálta policy appears to be based on a different philosophy, one that assumes support and affirmation of trans identities is inherently kind and unproblematic, and that treats the notion of gender identity as a fixed and unquestionable truth. This divergence from international best practice should be of serious concern to parents and teachers.”
Deputy Tóibín wrote to the Minister to ask what “steps are being taken by her Department to protect children from being exposed to harmful or confusing concepts about gender identity” by the programme.
He also asked the Minister to list the experts consulted within the formation of a programme, specifically in relation to the issue of gender identity – and asked her to supply “the reason Ireland is proceeding with policies around gender identity in schools when countries such as Britain, France, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have paused gender-affirming treatments for minors”.
Having received a written reply today, Deputy Tóibín resubmitted his questions, saying that “no answers” had been given by the Minister.
Minister McEntee said that Cineáltas is her department’s “whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools”.
“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,” she added.
“An extensive consultation process was carried out to inform the development of Cineáltas and the Bí Cineálta procedures. Over 4,600 responses were received from the public consultation in addition to 78 submissions received from the request for submissions. 170 children and young people from diverse backgrounds were also consulted. A number of organisations and individuals presented to the Cineáltas Steering Committee,” she said.
“The Bí Cineálta procedures are centred on a child rights-based approach and 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 by the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year,” she said.
“The updated Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum, which was rolled out for first years in all schools from September 2023, includes three learning objectives that focus on gender. Through these learning outcomes, 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; reflect on gender equity and how gender stereotypes impact on expectations, behaviour and relationships; and appreciate the breadth of what constitutes human sexuality, and how sexual orientation and gender identity are experienced and expressed in many ways,” the Minister added.