Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge. The Deputy has outlined how hidden bullying has been in the past and how facing up to it in schools, for example, can be quite challenging for them. A school sometimes may even feel ashamed it is happening in that school and this probably has been the traditional attitude, which is what we must change. Work is under way in the Department of Education and Skills on developing new anti-bullying procedures for schools in consultation with the education partners with a view to their introduction from September. I believe this will make a difference and that Department also will engage with the boards of management and parents on co-ordinating training and the resources needed by boards of management to create that greater understanding to which the Deputy referred and to give people the tools to deal with bullying in their schools. Moreover, the schools inspectorate will develop an evaluation of bullying in schools from 2014. There is a range of initiatives and the Deputy is familiar with the commitment of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, to dealing with this issue. He and I held the first stakeholder meeting with all the NGOs that are working in this area. Work also is under way in developing a single website that will contain all the details about who is working in this area. The Department of Education and Skills is leading on that initiative and my Department is contributing to it. Consequently, I accept the Deputy's point that this is an extremely serious issue. While there is perhaps more action and activity in challenging it now than ever before, I totally agree with the Deputy there is no room for complacency.

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