P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce legislation regarding bullying in schools following the death of a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23854/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. It has clearly been a very tragic and difficult period for the family in question.

Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have in place a Code of Behaviour. The Act further requires that such a code be prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB).

These guidelines were issued to schools in 2008 and make it clear that each school must have policies to prevent or address bullying. Accordingly, all schools must have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the framework of its overall school Code of Behaviour and Discipline. Such a code, developed through consultation with the whole school community and properly implemented, can be the most influential measure in countering bullying behaviour in schools.

I have no plans to introduce additional legislation as suggested by the Deputy. I am, however, intent on supporting schools in tackling bullying. In this regard, a number measures and supports have been put in place in recent years.

Responsibility for tackling bullying falls to the level of the individual school as it is at local level that an effective anti-bullying climate must be established.

My Department has issued guidelines as an aid to schools in devising measures to prevent and deal with instances of bullying behaviour and to increase awareness among school management authorities of their responsibilities in this regard. These guidelines were drawn up following consultation with representatives of school management, teachers and parents, and are sufficiently flexible to allow each school authority to adapt them to suit the particular needs of their school.

In 2007 my Department published, on its website, policy templates for post-primary schools in five key areas, including anti-bullying. The template documents are not prescriptive, but rather highlight possible approaches and potential material for inclusion in school policies and take account of more recent legislative and regulatory changes. Reference is also made to issues of contemporary concern such as the need to tackle text bullying, cyber-bullying and homophobic bullying.

The National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) was established in 2006 in response to the recommendation in "School Matters", the report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools. The NBSS is currently working with over 70 Post Primary Schools to promote and support positive student behaviour.

The National Centre for Technology in Education's Webwise Internet Safety initiative includes an integrated educational programme with the following elements: 1. The development of an integrated educational programme in partnership with the SPHE Support Service called - Be Safe_Be Webwise, which is delivered in the context of the SPHE module on Personal Safety by the SPHE Second Level Support Service 2. Delivery of Internet Safety Seminars for parents in schools in partnership with the National Parents Council Primary. 3. Provision of Internet safety continuing professional development training for teachers 4. The Watch Your Space awareness campaign, which was launched in February 2007 seeks to raise awareness and promote safe, responsible practice by young people when online. The campaign has a strong peer-to-peer perspective and centres on an interactive online service, www.watchyourspace.ie developed by the NCTE. This site offers practical tips and advice and supports teenagers who use the web. A key feature is the advice given from teenagers to teenagers on how to cope with the fall-out from abuses and misuse of social networking and picture -sharing websites.

The education of students in both primary and post-primary schools in relation to anti-bullying behaviour is also part of the SPHE curriculum. SPHE is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of post-primary schools.