Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. John Irwin:

Mr. White and Ms O'Connor have covered many of the points. One thing I would say about students in schools is that we have been remarkably encouraged by the return of students to schools. Many of the DEIS schools and large DEIS schools in urban settings have reported a 100% return to school after the lockdown of the new year. That is very encouraging. I hope some of the news that came out this morning will not be reflected in September. We sincerely hope the students will continue to engage. The resilience young people have shown over the past year in schools has been remarkable in many ways. They have been tremendous participators, in the main, in the education process in what has been a difficult and challenging time for them.