Results 3,841-3,860 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Much of today's conversation has been about pupils and students. I fully agree they have to be the priority. From anecdotal evidence, teachers are bullied and the students who see it happening feel that if the staff are doing it, they can also do it. It happens in the school community. Is this an issue for the Department of Education? Is it a matter for the patrons of the school? Who is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I understand that assistance is there but this is happening out there. There is very clear evidence. Parents go to the Department, which tells them that it is not its problem. The parents are sent back to the patrons, who tell them that it is not their problem. The parents are then sent between Billy and Jack - the chairman of the board of management and the parents' council. This is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I want to tease this out a little. What are the responsibilities of the patron regarding this issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: If the patron fails to deal with the issue, who is then responsible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I ask Ms Keating to forward that information to the secretariat because it is now after 5 p.m, another witness is coming in now and I am conscious of the time. I thank the officials for coming before us and comprehensively briefing us. The briefing has been of enormous assistance to the committee regarding our examination of this issue. I again thank each of the witnesses for giving their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I welcome Mr. Hugh Ahern to this session of the meeting. He is a second-year student in the Patrician Academy in County Cork and he is here to brief the committee on school bullying and its impact on mental health. This is a very important day for the committee as Mr. Ahern is the youngest witness ever to appear before it. It is testament to his great enthusiasm for and commitment to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I thank Hugh for giving of his time to come before the committee and for having the confidence to do so at such a young age. I really admire young people who have the confidence to do that. I wish I had had the same confidence when I was the same age. I invite the members of the committee to pose questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Hugh, you are on mute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: You are okay. You are back on air.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: One of the issues that has been discussed at this committee, and which we have done much work on in recent months, is about having an online safety commissioner. All witnesses raised this issue because bullying has changed over the years and it has increasingly gone online. Hugh outlined, from his experience, how bullying can affect a student. Would he welcome having an online safety...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: The other issue is - I have raised this with a significant number of witnesses recently - about the engagement of parents and how to educate them, because many of them do not understand the dangers of social media. Many of them know their sons or daughters are on social media, but they do not know what activity their sons or daughters are up to on social media. They could be the nicest...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Yes. The parents one would like to reach out to are typically the parents who do not attend public sessions. Most schools have public meetings to engage with parents. The same parents turn up to these meetings all the time. The parents who need to be engaged with are not turning up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I know Hugh gave his opinion on the 2013 action plan on bullying and how that needs to be updated. I raised the following issue with the Department of Education today, and it was also raised at today's meeting. Witnesses looked for the provision of emotional and therapeutic supports and someone who the students can trust and go to in the schools. The principal of a school is very busy. He...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I have one last question before I bring back in Senator Dolan. Is a student having the confidence to go to his or her parents if he or she is being bullied in the school an issue? Do many students not have the confidence to go to, or do not feel comfortable in going to, their parents because they do not want to overly worry them? How big a problem is that and how can it be overcome?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Senator Dolan, I will allow you one more question before we finish up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Hugh, I commend you on your eloquent and insightful evidence. Let me say that you are a credit to yourself, to your family and to your school, The Patrician Academy in Mallow in County Cork. The committee is committed to hearing the voices of young people and this afternoon you have articulated the views of young people in a meaningful and substantive way. You have a bright future ahead of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I remind members and witnesses to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off or to aeroplane mode for the duration of the meeting, as they interfere with the broadcasting equipment even when on silent mode. The minutes of the meeting of 15 June 2021 have been circulated. Are members in agreement on them? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Does Senator Dolan wish to come back in?