Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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313. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding is available for schools or other organisations to provide safer social media alternatives to children and young persons. [24385/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department is keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators, parents, and children, in relation to online safety and provides a suite of supports in that regard. The use of social media by schools is a matter for the board of management of each individual school.

Through the prescription of school curriculum, the Department supports overall student learning and in particular, the development by students of the skills and competencies necessary to negotiate living in the 21st century including being safe using online technologies. For example, the Social Personal & Health Education programme which is a compulsory subject for all primary and post primary students up to Junior Cycle, addresses student well-being including online safety.

The PDST (Technology in Education) is a dedicated team established and funded by the Department to advise and support schools in the area of digital technologies, including issues of internet safety.

Information and resources are also available for parents, teachers and children through the Webwise Internet Safety Initiative, funded by this Department and the EU Safer Internet Project. The Programme provides access to information on the latest technologies and the changing use of social media. Webwise.ie website promotes the autonomous, effective and safer use of the internet by young people through a sustained information and awareness strategy targeting school leaders, teachers, parents and children themselves with consistent and relevant messages.

Schools are also advised on the development and implementation of an Acceptable Usage Policy (governing the use of the internet in schools); the promotion of awareness regarding safety online; and the implementation of a content filtering/monitoring system which my Department provides to schools through the Schools Broadband Access Programme.

One of the key objectives of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 is to promote responsible and ethical use of the internet and related technologies and to continue to undertake awareness-raising actions and programmes that promote responsible and ethical use of the internet. My Department recently published a circular requesting schools to consult with parents and students and teachers to develop and inform policies for the use of smart phones and tablet devices in schools.

The Digital Strategy for Schools also commits to €210m in funding for multi-annual ICT Infrastructure Grants to schools over the period of the Strategy. The second tranche of this funding (€30m), in respect of the 2017/2018 school year, has issued to schools.

Online safety of children is a matter relevant to many Government Departments, as well as parents and the wider society. This requires a whole of Government approach and my Department is collaborating with these Departments on the development of an Action Plan on Internet Safety led by the Department of An Taoiseach. Ongoing engagement is also maintained the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment which has a lead role in coordinating Government policy for internet safety, and also with the Department of Justice and Equality through their Office for Internet Safety.