Mr. Matthew Ryan:

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh and members of the committee, for the opportunity to speak before you today. I am the welfare officer of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union, ISSU. I want to express my views on how we can implement long-lasting solutions, as opposed to incremental quick fixes to bullying. One thing that has always been apparent is that with issues like bullying, we often try to work from the top down and eradicate the issue as a whole. Instead, I want to highlight the importance of the straightforward and pragmatic actions that, when combined, could yield a much more practical and useful solution.

We can begin to build the groundwork of a more accepting and inclusive school culture if we tackle issues such as our relationships and sexuality education, RSE, and social, personal and health, SPHE, curriculums, investigate and improve our referral system, look to how we can fully support our staff and pastoral care teams and implement a more holistic and realistic approach to education.

A lack of education can lead to animosity, so we need to teach our students as soon as they enter education about real world issues and use practical, up-to-date language. Language is vitally important when it comes to tackling bullying. The use of passive slurs and derogatory language in schools normalises the victimisation of certain groups. The passing of a simple, snide remark can often snowball into full-on bullying. We need an education system that is constantly adapting and evolving to the vernacular and vocabulary of each generation, something that is constantly changing.

It is also the belief that no one becomes a bully for no reason. A reform, not reprimand, approach is needed. This aims to help students who have bullied to learn and grow personally and help them in becoming more open and accepting of others. We need to help both victims and perpetrators in this scenario. We all have a duty to do everything possible in our power to help re-educate students who have bullied, so that they do not repeat this behaviour. Where do we start? The role of the parent or guardian in this process cannot be understated. It is crucial that we upskill parents to help them become the key parties that they can be in tackling bullying. It is also vital that we look at the mental health aspect of this. Being the victim of bullying can manifest itself as intrusive or self-destructive thoughts. It can cause a young person's belief in themselves to waiver. They have thoughts of “Why me?”, “What did I do?” and “What is wrong with me?” We need to support these students and equip them with the proper coping mechanisms they need.

Private psychotherapists can be expensive and this issue is particularly prevalent among young people of more disadvantaged backgrounds. I ask the committee to look into how we can better equip our pastoral care teams to deal with serious cases of bullying. I ask that all educational stakeholders and the National Educational Psychology Service, NEPS, are engaged in this process. I would also urge the committee to look at the mental health funding available. In 2021, only €50 million was allocated to mental health services.

This needs to improve. There is a dire need for greater funding, but also for better management of how and where it is spent. It is sometimes the case that the default is the typical posters or awareness campaigns but the truth is that these are often not enough. I ask that the committee work to aid the establishment of student councils across the country as they provide invaluable insight to schools when they are drafting or reviewing their anti-bullying policies.

I wish to finish with the message that we need to have strong and solid foundations before we can build anything on them. We need to look at the way we educate as a whole. The tangible solutions I have mentioned and those outlined in our written submission are but a start. I welcome any and all questions the committee may have. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.