The schoolbook publisher, The Educational Company of Ireland (Edco), has apologised for some content in one of its Junior Cycle curriculum books, adding that upon "closer inspection", it will remove it.
In a section entitled "All Different, All Equal", an Aran-jumper wearing Irish family is described as eating bacon, cabbage and potatoes every day and not liking change or difference.
While a mixed-race family is depicted as eating more varied foods and travelling internationally.
The publisher issued a statement to RTÉ News in response to queries around the book's depictions, which had led to widespread calls for the book to be pulled.
In the statement, Edco said: "Firstly, we would like to say that we welcome the public's interest in this issue and the whole area of SPHE.
"By means of background and context, the main function of this activity ('Looking at Difference’) is designed to help students understand the importance of diversity in our lives, to introduce students to the Equal Status Acts and to highlight the types of discrimination they cover.
"Following the students’ introduction to the Equal Status Acts, the activity uses exaggeration and hyperbole to convey the nature and effects of inclusion and bias."
However, it said that "on closer inspection, we now appreciate that our approach should have been different".
The publisher added that it "accepts that it has caused upset and anger, even though this was not our intention".
"We have taken the decision to replace this activity and we apologise for any hurt caused," it said.
Edco also clarified that there is no Irish version of this book as it had not yet been translated into Irish.
"We would like to confirm that no Irish version of the 2023 Health and Wellbeing 1 has been published," it said.
"The first edition of this book was published in 2017 in line with the specification for SPHE at that time," it added.
The publisher said the 2017 edition was translated into Irish.
But, it said, "a new SPHE specification was introduced to schools in 2023, at which point the new Health and Wellbeing 1 was published".
The Department of Education said that curriculum "specification and prescribed material for any subject are determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCAA)".
In a statement, the department said that it is "the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources, other than prescribed material, that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum".
The department said that issues in relation to textbooks "should be raised with the publisher themselves".
It said a "portal site" was developed by the NCCA for teachers to access SPHE related teaching and learning resources.
It said these online toolkits "provide supports for teachers in preparing for and teaching" SPHE and have been "carefully selected to support planning for quality teaching and learning in SPHE linked to the current".
'Appalling'
Opposition politicians have labelled the depiction as "appalling" and called for the Minister for Education to respond.
Sinn Féin's education spokesperson Sorca Clarke said she was "appalled" by the depiction, saying "caricatures of Irish families have been depicted in racist tropes for generations".
"It is incredible that the creators of this content would replicate and echo these stereotypes," she said.
"We need to think again about how we inclusively represent an Irish family in the 21st Century," she added.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called for Minister for Education Norma Foley to respond to the matter.
The Tipperary TD said: "While I appreciate the publishers' apology, it falls far short of addressing the core issue."
"We need Education Minister Norma Foley to clarify how such a textbook, which not only misrepresents Irish families but does so in a prejudiced manner, was approved for publication in the first place," he said.
"It is simply not acceptable that only the publishers of a controversial Junior Cert textbook apologise. Where is the Minister for Education?" he added.
Mr McGrath described the "discriminatory depiction of a traditional Irish family" in the book as "disturbing" and "wrong".
"It risks shaping young minds with a biased agenda rather than fostering independent thought," Mr McGrath said.
"The minister must also apologise and act," he added.
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Additional reporting Juliette Gash
