Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

21. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which, in the context of the programme for Government or otherwise, she intends to address the issue of vulnerable children who may be subject to bullying out of school; if she is satisfied regarding the adequacy of the existing structures to meet the requirements in this area with particular reference to the number of reported incidents in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14819/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The welfare and protection of children, and in particular, vulnerable children, is everybody’s concern. Responsibility for children’s welfare arises in all settings where children are, and attaches to all responsible adults who come in contact with children. The primary responsibility for protecting children rests with their parents, but parents are supported in this role by range of service providers, state agencies, schools and professionals working with children and young people. There is a range of services which can assist children and young people in coping with bullying situations.

- For example, – an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills – provides information and advice for parents and teachers about risks and how to protect children against cyberbullying.

- At community level, many of the voluntary youth services funded by my Department provide education programmes, run awareness campaigns about bullying and provide programmes for young people to give them the knowledge and skills to build supportive links and counter bullying behaviours. Specifically, my Department supports the National Youth Health Programme which is in partnership with the HSE and the National Youth Council of Ireland. The programme's aims are to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion-education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings, and includes programmes aimed at exploring bullying and cyberbullying with young people.

- Schools are also strengthening collaboration and interaction with youth services and promote the active participation by pupils in youth focused services within their local communities.

The Deputy will be aware of the Action Plan on Bullying led by my colleague the Minister for Education. While the report deals with bullying in schools, it acknowledges that bullying is a complex social issue and can take place anywhere children and young people are together, including, as we know, on social media. The report highlights the need for parents and young people to understand how to use modern technologies safely and to know how to protect themselves in school, at home and in their communities.

With regard to cyberbullying, the Office for Internet Safety, under the Department of Justice and Equality, takes a lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children. As part of its work it holds an annual Safer Internet Day, which has included a roll-out of a social marketing campaign specifically targeted at young people. In 2013, the then Minister of Communications established an Internet Content Governance Advisory Group to ensure our national policy represents best practice in offering the same online protections to our citizens as those available in the offline world. The Group’s report published in May 2014 made several recommendations aimed at protecting children and young people without unduly limiting their opportunities and rights online. I hope to advance these issues in conjunction with my colleagues the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Communications as part of the Programme for Government's specific commitment in relation to ensuring that robust protections are in place to fully protect children while on line.