Mr. David O'Sullivan:

I thank the Senator for her questions. On training, while I am aware of the FUSE programme provided by DCU and other initiatives such as Webwise, I was drawing the attention of the committee to a national programme of training. There is no national central policy on what training should in place. Other agencies have devised programmes but we are seeking a national programme for training.

There is a shared responsibility. We all have the same shared objective in trying to address school bullying. Schools take preventative measures by having awareness weeks and posters. They create a culture of openness so that parents can come into schools to address any issues and concerns. It is important that parents do that sooner rather than later in order that schools can invoke their anti-bullying policies. When issues arise, teachers are well versed in engaging in restorative practice.