Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister for the work he has done in this area over many years as well as the work done before that. I read an article in The Irish Times after the announcement of the strategy in September which argued that the universality of bullying comes from an almost instinctive human tendency to accept some and exclude others from the group to gain supposed social status among peers by targeting a weaker opponent. This is what makes it particularly difficult to eliminate. However, we all accept that dealing with this type of behaviour is what humanises us.

I will specifically address the procedures announced in September 2013. These are important not just as procedures for dealing with bullying but as part of a wider mental health strategy. If we manage to successfully deal with the issue of bullying in primary and post-primary schools, it will have a positive outcome as times goes on in adult bullying, for example. I do not know but I very much doubt that there is a single person in the room who has not been impacted in some shape or form by bullying, either by direct experience or that of a family member, child or friend. I know friends who have been bullied at work, and I also know children, nieces and nephews who have experienced bullying in schools. It is endemic in society.

I welcome the fact that there will be resources put behind this programme and, to be fair, €500,000 is a significant amount of money in current economic times. The Minister should be congratulated for that. I have some comments and observations on the programme nonetheless. I do not see any emphasis on peer-to-peer mentoring or support, which is very important. For example, a programme called Meitheal was introduced in Wexford, where there is a particularly high level of suicide among young people and it involves peer-to-peer mentoring with supports. Unfortunately, it will have to be discontinued because of a lack of resources. Nevertheless, there is sufficient evidence from the programme that it should be rolled out on a nationwide basis, and I ask the Minister to consider a nationwide peer-to-peer programme in schools.

I echo the sentiments of Senator Moran with regard to the role of parents and welcome the financial support in the document for parental training. There is an issue among parents in recognising bullying, as they believe that it reflects upon themselves; either they see the child as weak or, alternatively, the child is the bully. As a result, there is a reluctance among parents to accept the matter. Further, parents may be a problem themselves, so significant resources must be put behind this effort.

I was looking at the action plan against bullying and wider research in the area, and the issue is almost comparable to abuse. That is one of the reasons peer-to-peer mentoring is so important. Children are afraid they will not be believed or there is not enough evidence. They may also be afraid of retaliation and retribution. Peer-to-peer mentoring, for youths and potentially for parents who find themselves in a scenario where a child is experiencing bullying, could lead to a support group to combat the problem.

There is one statement in the action plan that I want to bring to the Minister's attention, as there has been much emphasis on bullying and abuse of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender children or youths with a disability. There is another group that should be mentioned. The report indicates:

It is important to remember that children can be bullied for no apparent reason. Sometimes, it can be as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Physical attributes such as hair colour, weight or even the fact that someone wears glasses can sometimes be used to bully someone.

I was struck by the account of a young girl called Elaine Doyle. She came under the spotlight because she had received 100% in a physics test, bringing her to the attention of the bullies. There is a group of bright children who experience bullying. In a way that was actually very disturbing and Ms Doyle set out the isolation, rejection, insecurity and depression that she experienced because she was a bright child.

The Minister has stated schools are only part of the problem, which I accept completely. There is a need for specific emphasis on the fact that schools are part of a community. My experience of children who have been bullied is that those who succeed and survive bullying the best are those who have an outside resource that protects and insulates them to some extent from bullying.

I am concerned about the cuts to youth services. It is very important that children have access to debating, sports and youth clubs, in addition to organisations such as BeLonGTo. I ask the Minister to support specifically the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland, which offers support to bright children. There is plenty of evidence to show that bright children suffer because of their brightness and are isolated by it.

The only hope is that this will not be a box-ticking exercise. While we can require schools to fill in forms, engage in acknowledgement and take all sorts of steps, it is critical that there be adequate surveillance of the programme and expert reviews conducted to ensure it is actually working in schools.