Education Minister McHugh has strongly hit out at a “fake news” campaign which suggested four-year-olds would be taught about masturbation as part of a new sex education curriculum.

The Archbishop of Dublin is defending the rule prioritising children who've been baptised in Catholic Schools.

TDs will be asked to vote next week on removing the rights of religious schools to discriminate against gay teachers.

A small number of Catholic schools may transfer to new patrons later this year but the Department of Education expects others to follow suit in greater numbers over the next few years.