Mr. David Duffy:

The bystander issue is a very complex one. As Mr. Ryan and Ms Piggott have referenced, bullying can sometimes be very obvious, especially if there are physical injuries, whereas in other cases it can be insidious and very difficult to pick up on. That is why everyone needs to be vigilant.

As regards possible solutions to it in the post-primary sector, the well-being programme at junior certificate level covers some of this area. Obviously, more could be covered in that regard. There needs to be continuing professional development for everyone, including members of boards of management, who, ultimately, are the ones who have to deal with much of the fallout. The other thing that needs to happen is an update of the anti-bullying procedures from the Department. The procedures were published in 2013 but, through no fault of anybody, the system has changed quite dramatically since then, so the procedures could do with an update.