Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for accepting this issue for discussion. I raise this issue in light of recent research with which I am sure the Minister for Health is only too familiar. The research, published in the Irish Medical Journal, shows that in Ireland suicide is the leading cause of death among young males in the age group 15 to 24. I am conscious that we are having this debate following an interview in a national newspaper today with the father of a young girl who, sadly, took her own life. As the Minister will be aware, various studies down through the years have shown that victims of bullying are in some cases up to nine times more likely to consider suicide, and rates of self-harm have shown a marked increase in recent years, especially in the 15 to 19 year old age group.

In a week when we are discussing the inclusion of an amendment to our Constitution to further protect the rights of children, it is strange there is no defined legislation to deal with bullying within the education system. I am aware the Department of Education and Skills has drawn up guidelines on countering bullying in primary and post-primary schools. This document recommends that the prevention of bullying be a fundamental part of the written code, as prescribed under section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act. The Department is reviewing these guidelines and that is one reason I submitted this issue for debate. I hope that discussion of the issue will lead us to make those guidelines compulsory rather than optional, as they are currently.

Teachers are in a unique position in that they are in daily contact with young children and they have the opportunity to play a significant role in combating and preventing bullying. For them to fulfil that role, however, we need legislation that will put in place the procedures, training, obligations, reporting, oversight and preventative measures needed to tackle the issue of bullying once and for all, particularly among children in schools. I hope the Minister takes these matters on board when reviewing the guidelines because this is an issue that needs greater discussion. The opportunity exists now to introduce legislation that will put the prevention of bullying on a statutory footing.

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