Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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227. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why an educational institution (details supplied) does not have an anti-bullying policy or established procedures for dealing with complaints of bullying. [14679/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The institution to which the Deputy refers is a private charitable trust and its anti-bullying policy is a matter for the institution and not my Department. My Department is aware, however, that the institution has adopted the "Dignity and Respect Policy" of the university of which is an associated college. The policy has been in place from some years and is made available to all students on the Institution's Virtual Learning Environment.

The Deputy may wish to note that the Teaching Council, the statutory body that sets and upholds the standards for entry to the teaching profession, reviews and accredits programmes of initial teacher education provided by Higher Education Institutions, including the Institution to which the Deputy refers. The Council's Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers require that there should be adequate provision for the personal and social development and pastoral care of student teachers.