In a move that could save lives, the Oireachtas Education Committee is calling for all schools to have an updated sex education programme - regardless of their beliefs.
The plans would see gay, lesbian and transgender relationships being taught in Catholic schools from primary to secondary with age appropriate material.
Director of BeLong To, Moninne Griffith, says students feel excluded at the moment:
This is really a matter of life or death to make our schools safe and supportive, that young LGBT people aren't self-harming or aren't experiencing suicide ideation because they don't feel like they belong in schools.
It should be a priority for schools and for parents.
Under the plans, schoolkids would be taught about LGBT relationships, without distinction to their heterosexual counterparts.
Advertisement
According to a study commissioned by Glen and BelongTo, compared to the wider teenage population, gay teens were two times more likely to have self-harmed, three times more likely to have attempted suicide and four times more likely to have experienced anxiety or depression.