Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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I thank all the contributors for their excellent presentations. This is an important topic. We discussed it last week also. I made several points last week on the change in the nature of bullying. It now follows the victim all around the place because of the advent of social media and smartphones. Often, there can be confusion over the definition of bullying, which involves repeated action over a period, not just a once-off event.

I have a question for anybody who wants to take it on. I was interested in all the presentations made but was wondering whether the Irish education system is particularly ill-equipped to deal with bullying considering that it is based on separating children. We separate children at a much greater rate than most other European countries. We do so on the basis of religion, gender and income. Some 90% of our primary schools are under the patronage of a body that believes women are second-class citizens and that LGBT people are disordered. We do not have a State education system; we have a State-funded education system. Therefore, the reach of the Department goes only so far in respect of asking schools and patron bodies to implement anti-bullying or other policies.

Is there evidence that any particular type of school or age group has a worse bullying problem? Is it a teenage issue? Does it start at infant level? Is the physical element of bullying worse now than five or ten years ago? I am interested in knowing that. I am also interested in coping mechanisms. Given that many of us were bullied as children – I certainly was – how do we ensure that we can instil coping mechanisms in children and young people? How can we ensure parents know what bullying is? A lot of parent-teacher time can be spent discussing what constitutes bullying. Sometimes it is believed that any kind of interaction or confrontation is bullying when often that is not the case. How can we focus on the repeated action, which is quite diminishing and absolutely humiliating for children and young people, and which lasts a lifetime? It is not just a phase. Bullying stays with most people for their entire lives. I would appreciate the comments of anybody who wishes to contribute on that.