Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In his deliberations, the Minister mentioned a few of the points that I was going to raise. Bullying can have a terrible and corrosive impact on children and young people, on their confidence, self-esteem and mental health. The effects of bullying can last for years, as previous speakers have said. The programme for Government commits to supporting schools in developing strategies to combat homophobic bullying and to support students so affected.

A research study from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, entitled Growing Up in Ireland, highlights how over 24% of nine to 17 year olds have reported being bullied. That is almost one in four in this age group.

Research by the anti-bullying centre at Trinity College Dublin highlights how one in four girls and one in six boys in Ireland have been involved in cyberbullying either as a victim, bully or both. Bullying in school can ruin a young person's enjoyment of some of the most important years of their young lives. In extreme situations - tragically, as we have learned recently - it can lead to youngpeople taking their own lives. This is to be regretted.

The programme for Government includes a specific commitment to encourage schools to develop anti-bullying policies and, in particular, strategies to combat homophobic bullying and support students.

The Minister has mentioned the anti-bullying forum. In May this year, the first dedicated anti-bullying forum was convened by the Minister himself along with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. This was the first time that the Department of Education and Skills, together with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, hosted a dedicated forum with students' and parents' representatives, education stakeholders, academics and other experts to address this issue. I commend the Minister, as others have done, for his efforts to date.

Alongside the forum, the Minister established a working group on tackling bullying, including homophobic, cyber and racist bullying. The Minister has invited stakeholders and all interested parties to submit their views for consideration by the working group. Fair play to the Minister for this important initiative.

In recent months the group has been consulting a range of stakeholders and colleagues overseas, including the United Kingdom. The group is working on an action plan recommending further measures that can be taken effectively to tackle bullying in schools. I look forward to seeing this action plan, which I understand will be completed by the end of this year.

A key element in dealing with bullying is having a school culture of awareness of the seriousness of the issue, and having in place a whole-school approach to dealing with it. Anti-bullying policies work best where the entire school community, including school management authorities, staff, students and parents, supports it and adheres to it.

Cyberbullying is a manifestation of bullying and refers to instances where it is carried on using - or, more correctly, abusing - modern technology. It seems more prevalent among younger people but I know it is not confined to that group. I can assure the Minister that fadó, fadó there was no technology in any shape or form when I was going to school. I hope my colleagues did not witness what I did in those days. Each and every boy and girl was bullied when I was at school. It was not one in four or one in six. Each and every one of them was bullied by our teachers. In fact, their own children were bullied in my presence in that same school. Imagine going home to a father who had bullied you at school that day and when I say bullying, I mean bullying. Not one of us escaped it at school. The cane was taken to the football field and outside the church on Sunday morning.

Senator Norris referred to going home from school and mentioning it to one's parents, but it did not happen. None of my colleagues did it for the simple reason that they would be beaten again at home and told they deserved it.

Parents and teachers must develop an awareness of bullying and must be especially aware of how mobile phones and other means of communication can be used to intimidate and harass young people. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of constant vigilance by family and teachers, and the constant need to remind young people themselves of the damage that bullying in any form can cause.

For the past three years, more than 500 people per annum have been taking their own lives, which is a catastrophe. Can the Minister imagine if we had an air crash that killed 500 people and what the outcry would be? I do not wish to compare what is happening to an air crash, but I wish to indicate what is happening year in, year out. We all have a part to play in combating that.