Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that there are a number of Programme for Government (PfG) commitments aimed at addressing bullying, including a commitment to commission surveys of staff and students in the areas of harassment, sexual harassment, and bullying in higher education. These surveys have now taken place and the findings published.

Our higher education institutions have a duty of care to ensure that staff and students have a safe environment to study and work; free from bullying, harassment or other forms of unwanted behaviour. In 2023, an evaluation of the Speak Out pilot initiative was commissioned by the HEA which proposed recommendations for a sustainable governance and management model for the Speak Out Anonymous Reporting Tool. The recommendations of this report are being implemented. Funding has been secured to support the implementation of Speak Out on an annual basis.

The Speak Out Governance and Oversight Committee has been established and encompasses representatives from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; the Higher Education Authority, the Technological Higher Education Association; the Irish Universities Association; higher education colleges and the Union of Students in Ireland.

The HEA, in collaboration with the Speak Out Governance and Oversight Committee, invited Expressions of Interest from eligible higher education institutions or representative bodies to establish a National Office for the management and operation of the Speak Out Anonymous Reporting tool.

In August 2022, the findings of a Report on the National Survey of Staff Experiences of Bullying in Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) conducted by the specialist DCU Anti-Bullying Centre were launched. This report presents the findings of an anonymous online survey, commissioned by my Department, examining the prevalence and impact of workplace bullying among staff in 20 publicly-funded HEIs in Ireland. The survey of staff experiences of bullying in higher education was conducted in late 2021. A total of 3,835 HEI staff responses were analysed. The survey report includes a number of recommendations, which will inform future policy decisions to tackle workplace bullying within higher education institutions.

My Department in conjunction with DCU’s National Anti-Bullying Centre recently published the results of a national survey on student experiences of bullying in the higher education sector. The survey, commissioned by my Department, was conducted by researchers at the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, and it was sent to higher education students in Ireland by their institutions. The online survey asked about the experiences of bullying among higher education students across Ireland. Respondents were asked to reflect on their experiences of interacting with other students within higher education institutions. The primary goal of the project was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of bullying among higher education students across Ireland. Insights from this study will be used to implement new or updated policies, processes, training and resources to support higher education institutions in addressing these issues. The reports on national surveys by the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre have been shared with higher education institutions.

I will continue to lead the way on institutional change, championing the changes required, listening to survivors and working in collaboration to achieve justice for victims and a cultural norm where bullying is not tolerated.