EU Programmes
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-11
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important issue and recognise her very considerable interest in broader European issues. I know she is a vice-president of the European People's Party, which is an important role, and she has a long history there. I think she was secretary general of YouthEPP at a stage in the past. It is really good that this House seeks to embrace all that is involved at European level. I thank the Senator for her continued interest in this area.
The Minister, Deputy Naughton, along with Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, recently met Dr. Schön-Quinlivan, Ms Trish Collier and Mr. Hugh Ahern, the team behind the Key to the EU programme. Dr. Schön-Quinlivan and Ms Collier presented on the Key to the EU programme at the meeting. The Minister acknowledged the work that went into developing such programmes and the positive intentions behind it. However, it was set out that the Department received many requests to support or promote the roll-out of projects, programmes and resources in schools. The Education Act 1998 sets out the key roles and functions in the running of schools. This recognises that school leaders and teachers are best placed to decide on the programmes that are most appropriate for the children in their classrooms and in their schools generally. As a result, apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary level, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, decisions on textbooks, programmes and products to use in schools are therefore taken at school level. External companies and organisations that develop programmes can contact schools directly, but in terms of content, the Department does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any publication or product. The only requirement from the Department, on any resource used in a school, is that it be relevant to the curriculum. Ultimately, the decision on which resources, if any, most appropriately cover the curriculum also rests with the school.
At the meeting with the Key to the EU team, it was noted that other programmes, such as the Blue Star Programme are available to schools. The Blue Star Programme is managed by European Movement Ireland for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The programme aligns to the primary curriculum and aims to foster a better understanding and knowledge of the EU through classroom projects and activities. This is an example of the issue facing the Department if asked to endorse particular programmes over others. It was suggested to the Key to the EU team that they explore how the two initiatives might align and support each other.
Today is also an opportunity to highlight that the concept of citizenship is already embedded across the curriculum. Aistear, the curriculum for early years, promotes the concept of citizenship and social justice with children and respects them as young citizens. The redeveloped primary curriculum framework introduces being an active citizen as one of seven key competencies. It aims to empower children to understand their rights and responsibilities and to engage with local and global issues. Leaving certificate politics and society aims to develop students’ capacity to engage in reflective and active citizenship, informed by the insights and skills of social and political sciences. The content of these specifications supports the development of an understanding of equality, inequality and diversity in a range of areas of human life, including gender, ethnicity and social class.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:03+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-11