Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State's response. I also welcome the fact that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, has recently convened an anti-bullying forum. Over a 15-year period, the Irish Association of Suicidology has identified bullying in schools as a serious issue concerning mental well-being, suicide, attempted suicide and self harm. It is a real issue within the school system, so it is urgent to have more than guidelines within the education sector.

There is a mixed reaction among schools. Some schools are very good at identifying the problem and dealing with it while others are moderate. Some are very bad in this respect. I have met teachers who are interested in this matter but are very frustrated by the attitude of principals who may ask, "How many points will this approach obtain for the student?" There is a lack of understanding in this regard.

I also know that some school principals have attended the programmes run by the Irish Association of Suicidology and they do excellent work in promoting this area. I will finish by quoting President Higgins who recently spoke about the appalling, destructive reality of homophobic bullying. He said, "These are important issues, not merely emotional issues". I would like to congratulate GLEN on the work it is doing, the information it is gathering and the research it is undertaking to raise the profile of this serious issue.

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