Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he has identified means of deterring bullying inside or outside the classroom with particular reference to social media and the internet; the extent to which the welfare of children and young adults can be protected against such activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38729/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that I recently published new anti-bullying procedures for all primary and post primary schools. These new procedures have been developed following consultation with the relevant education partners and replace guidelines that were issued to schools in 1993. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils. They place a strong focus on education and prevention strategies to deal with bullying behaviour including, in particular, cyberbullying and identity based bullying such as homophobic and transphobic bullying. The procedures make clear that the focus of any prevention and education awareness measures in schools about cyber-bullying should be on educating pupils on how to stay safe while on-line and also on developing a culture of reporting any concerns about cyber-bullying.

The procedures also recognise that parents and pupils have a role and responsibility in helping the school to prevent and address school-based bullying behaviour and to deal with any negative impact within school of bullying behaviour that occurs elsewhere. The new procedures represent the conclusion of just one of the 12 essential actions set out in the Action Plan on Bullying published earlier this year. Other actions, including awareness raising campaigns in relation to cyberbullying and homophobic bullying, are already underway. My officials have also met with Facebook to see how we can collaborate to help schools to deal with incidents which arise. Facebook is now working with the second level school management bodies and a new escalation channel has been put in place for second level schools. It is also important to recognise that use of the internet and cyber-bullying is a wider societal issue and schools cannot solve all the ills of the world. Everyone, including parents, pupils and wider society, has a role to play in preventing and tackling cyber-bullying.