Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept that as cyberbullying is a form of bullying our response cannot be just technological. We must also deal with the reasons for bullying in the first place and we must have a whole societal response. Bullying often relates to self-esteem. There is an obvious connection between the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Law Reform Commission on rolling out a more comprehensive response to the problem. The Minister stated the draft report would come back by the end of November and that a proper report would be done by the end of the year. This is speedy and I congratulate the Minister on this and I welcome it. I hope when the Law Reform Commission investigates the issue of cyberbullying that it expedites the matter quickly. I suggest that a cross-departmental group would examine the issue in more detail at that point. I ask that any consultation process includes students and young people because they are most at risk. They deal with social media on a much more regular basis and they are more aware of the effects of cyberbullying on them and their peers. While the work of the Department is laudable, as Minister stated cyberbullying is a 24-seven phenomenon and the reaction to it cannot be just within the education system. It must be in conjunction with the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The cross-departmental response to this would be more comprehensive and might get further. I ask the Minister to respond to this suggestion.

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