Mr. John Irwin:

It takes some time to implement because a significant amount of training is required for staff. There has to be a commitment from the outset that the school is going to provide training and there must be buy-in from each of the stakeholders. Ms O'Connor mentioned that her school is three years into implementing a programme of restorative practice. It takes time but the evidence is very compelling in terms of its success.

A research piece was written a number of years ago about the whole idea of forgiveness in dealing with bullying in schools. There is significant evidence that it is a key element in what has to happen for all parties involved. As Mr. White mentioned, the punitive measures must be a last resort. They may have to be resorted to if people will take no accountability for their actions but if we have strong training of staff, strong training of peer-to-peer mentors and strong engagement from parents, restorative practice can really work in schools, but it takes time.