Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, I thank Deputy O'Brien for the opportunity to have this debate and I commend the House for the wide range of comments and analysis which Deputies have made to this debate on bullying.

As the Minister of State, Deputy White, stated last night, it is important that we use every opportunity to raise awareness about this issue and also to send a clear message that no form or type of bullying is acceptable. I reiterate the views expressed last night that while well intentioned, Deputy O'Brien's Bill is not a workable solution and for that reason the Government is opposing it.

While we oppose this particular Bill for the reasons the Minister of State and others outlined last night, I also emphasise that preventing and tackling bullying has been given a high priority by this Government and in particular by the Minister for Education and Skills. The Minister has taken specific action in the last year to ensure we implement the commitment in the programme for Government to help schools tackle bullying, homophobic bullying in particular. It is fair to say that the Minister has given greater priority and shown greater personal commitment to tackling this issue than any other Minister for Education in the last 20 years. The Minister was due to launch a new action plan on bullying tomorrow but due to a family bereavement, this will now take place early next week, and he will be giving priority to implementation of the actions outlined over the coming weeks and months.

As mentioned already in this debate, he will also be launching new guidelines on mental health for post-primary schools. These guidelines aim to support schools in developing a whole-school approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention and are of relevance to all members of the school community. In particular, they have been developed to support principals, guidance counsellors, student support teams and teachers.

A number of points have been made during the course of the debate about how we should more effectively tackle bullying in our schools and I would like to comment on someof issues. On guidance, while I regret that any budget measures which reduce the allocation of resources were required, the alternative was to increase class sizes at second level and leave the guidance allocation untouched. Unfortunately, due to the severe financial situation we find ourselves in, savings have to be found. Notwithstanding that, as part of the budget measure we sheltered the impact for all the DEIS post-primary schools by increasing their standard staffing allocations. The day-to-day management of how teaching resources are used in schools is carried out at local school level, and I am confident that in doing so, schools will act in the best interest of students.

It is also important to point out that existing policy makes guidance not just the responsibility of the school guidance counsellor but a whole school activity. Under the existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. While the school's guidance planning will involve the guidance counsellors in the first instance, other members of school staff and management also have key roles to play and parents and students must be seen as an essential part of the process.

Finally, I reiterate the view that bullying is not just a problem that schools should deal with. The role of parents, other adults and the wider community is crucial in shaping the attitudes and behaviour which encourage respect for and empathy for others in young people. I thank the House for the opportunity to contribute to this debate.

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