Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be happy to speak to the Deputy afterwards about last night's meeting to see how we can deal with the issue. The student and parent charter is something on which I have been working very intensively since I was appointed. We will publish it in the coming months. It is important that parents and students have a voice with regard to the circular that was sent. It is not subject to law; it is just a circular. I will contact the ETB about the school that was discussed by the Deputy and that was the subject of the meeting last night.

The Deputy referenced my predecessor, Deputy Bruton, who will head an all-Government approach to the use of mobile phone technology and smartphones to try to introduce proper safeguards and safety measures to protect young people. There is a responsibility on the Government, citizens and parents, as well as on the companies to act responsibly. They are the ones with the algorithms, data and information to spot online bullying. We have to ensure this will happen. The world in which we live is different from the one in which the Deputy and I went to school. He went to school a few years after me. Everything in life is about balance. Technology is part of the new world, but it is about balance. I am a traditionalist when it comes to getting back to basics and books will continue to be a fundamental part of children's education. Old teaching techniques will remain a fundamental part, but the world is changing. In the work we do in this House we have embraced technology in the past decade.

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