Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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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.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am taking this Topical Issue debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Suicide is a tragedy that we strive constantly to prevent and also we are working to give more support to the families and school communities affected. Changes in society and technology have added considerably to the difficulties experienced by young people. Bullying can ruin a young person's enjoyment of some of the most important years of his or her life and, unfortunately, in some cases this can have tragic consequences. Schools are expected to have a range of policies that promote the well-being of students and support those who experience difficulty. The Department of Education and Skills funds a number of programmes and has issued guidelines to schools.

Tackling the issue of bullying in schools is a key objective of the Government. It is for this reason my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, convened an anti-bullying forum in the Department of Education and Skills earlier this year. This forum provided an opportunity to explore with all the relevant stakeholders how best to tackle bullying in schools and to consider the strategies and practices required to address the matter. Submissions were also invited. A working group is working on follow-up actions. A specific aspect of this work is to identify changes to existing practices and policies that could improve how bullying is tackled and how awareness of bullying and its effects can be raised at school level.

The Teaching Council, the State's regulatory body for the teaching profession, sets out clear standards for entry to the profession, including standards of practice that relate to the personal well-being and development of students. The teacher's role in the holistic development of all students is clearly threaded throughout the council's code of professional conduct for teachers. Initial teacher education plays a major role in training teachers and ensuring they are aware of the developmental and emotional needs of their students. As part of their lifelong journey, teachers engage in ongoing professional development and this will become a statutory requirement in the near future. Continuing professional development helps to ensure teachers are aware of current research and best practice in working with young people.

The Teaching Council will work out the detailed requirements in relation to continuing professional development in due course.

As the Deputy may also be aware, the Department currently funds the social, personal and health education programme which provides support for post-primary schools, including training courses on positive strategies for managing bullying issues. Schools are also supported in the review of their anti-bullying policies and practices. There is active collaboration between the Departments of Health and Education and Skills to ensure schools and teachers are supported in their work. I expect that the two Departments will shortly publish guidelines for post-primary schools on the development of a whole-school approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Implementation of the guidelines will be co-ordinated by HSE health promotion officers and the social, personal and health education support service partnership, with the support of the National Educational Psychological Service. Many schools have signed up to the Department of Health's health promoting school initiative which supports the ongoing development and growth of young people and thereby feeds into the preventive approach to bullying in schools. It should be noted that schools and teachers are not alone in tackling the complex and sensitive issue of suicide prevention. Other services and agencies have key roles. Therefore, collaboration is important.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. He has said his Department and the Department of Education and Skills hope to publish guidelines shortly. While guidelines are important, I would like to know whether there are proposals to legislate for teachers and others who work with children to be required to be aware of the need for training, procedures and accountability in this area. This is an important matter. I am not sure whether the Minister is aware that the National Anti-Bullying Coalition has recently estimated that at least €40 million is spent each year on substitution costs when teachers who have been the victims of bullying are absent. Bullying within the education system is mainly directed at children, but we must recognise that teachers also suffer as a result of it. It is important for this to be recognised and taken on board in proposals or guidelines drawn up by the Minister's Department and the Department of Education and Skills. I hope the Minister will speak to the Minister for Education and Skills when the guidelines are being drafted to see whether it will be possible for legislation to be introduced to make it compulsory for proper bullying procedures to be implemented. It is important for him to do so.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline some of the ongoing developments that are most pertinent to the matter he has tabled for debate. I will take on board his concerns about bullying in the workplace, particularly that involving teachers in schools. Thankfully, this country has not yet reached the stage that has been reached in other countries where teachers feel threatened by students when they go to work. It is a key objective of the Government to tackle the issue of bullying in schools. It is of strategic importance to the State to provide for high-quality teaching and learning in schools. We will continue to invest in education to achieve this objective. We will provide for the education and continuing professional development of teachers. In addition, we will support the work of the Teaching Council in codifying the standards expected of teachers and teacher educators, including standards of practice that relate to the personal well-being and development of students.