Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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279. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being advanced to tackle identity-based bullying in Irish schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5189/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is my Department’s whole education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools.

Cineáltas is practical, inclusive and contains a broad range of actions which will help us all to work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and where individual difference is valued and celebrated. It is rooted in four key principles prevention, support, oversight and community. There are 61 actions in Cineáltas which include a focus on creating an inclusive school culture and environment, provision of support for schools, training for all school staff including boards of management, research and awareness raising hoping to build strong relationships and partnerships between the whole school community, and aims to ensure that all forms of bullying including identity-based bullying are being addressed.  

Cineáltas was developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with a diverse and dedicated Steering Committee led by Dr Noel Purdy of Stranmillis University College in Belfast. Cineáltas is informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, education partners and individual members of the public and succeeds in placing the students at the very heart of the plan.

The implementation of the actions in this Action Plan will greatly enhance and compliment the work that schools already do to ensure that all the children and young people are kept safe from harm and that the wellbeing of children and young people is at the forefront of everything we do.

Schools must adhere to the Anti-bullying procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, which include a specific reference to identity-based bullying, which were published at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. 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 and in dealing with any negative impact within school of bullying behaviour that occurs elsewhere. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour. 

The procedures recognise that a positive school culture and climate is key and set out a very practical way on what schools must do to both prevent bullying and to deal with bullying when it occurs.

In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures, where a parent is not satisfied that a school has dealt with a bullying case in accordance with the procedures the parents must be referred, as appropriate to the school's complaints procedures.

All Boards of Management are required to adopt and implement an anti-bullying policy that fully complies with the requirements of these procedures. A template policy is provided in the procedures to help facilitate schools in this regard.

The Board of Management must ensure that the school has clear procedures for the formal noting and reporting of bullying behaviour, and these must be documented in the schools’ anti-bullying policy. The procedures for schools include important oversight arrangements that involve the school principal reporting regularly to the Board of Management and a requirement for the Board to undertake an annual review of the school's anti-bullying policy and its implementation. Confirmation that the annual review has been completed must be provided to the Parents' Association and published on the school website.

My Department has established a Working Group to review and update the Anti-bullying procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools. The working group is comprised of representatives from each of the relevant management bodies and teacher and school staff unions, along with parent representatives, Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU) and the National Anti-bullying Research Centre in DCU.