Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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720.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her strategy to tackle cyberbullying and harassment, particularly of children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32191/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools.

An implementation plan for Cineáltas was published on 10 April 2023 and commits to implementing each of the 61 actions contained therein within a five-year period Work is well underway to implement many of these actions.

There are a number of actions in Cineáltas that relate to the area of online safety. Under Cineáltas, my Department provides funding to the Dublin City University Anti-Bullying Centre to support the delivery of their FUSE anti-bullying and online safety programme for schools. My Department is currently funding the development of additional modules of the FUSE programme. My Department also engages with the Online Safety Commissioner and contributes to the work of the National Advisory Council for Online Safety.

One of the more significant actions under Cineáltas was to update the 2013 Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. This action has been completed with the publication on 19 June 2024 of Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

The Bí Cineálta procedures are centred on a child rights-based approach and support a partnership approach where all members of the school community work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour.

The procedures have been updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. They support schools to develop clear strategies to prevent and address these bullying behaviours. The requirements of the procedures will come into effect from 1 September 2025.

Implementation of these procedures will be supported by a suite of professional learning resources and information sessions for school staff, board of management members and parents.

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out my Department’s policy approach to continue the progress made in embedding digital technology across the curriculum and in all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment in primary and second level schools. It builds on the achievements of the previous strategy. The Strategy was published in April 2022, following an extensive consultation process involving schools, parents, learners, management bodies, and industry.

Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies is a key component of the Digital Strategy. There is a wide range of training material and resources available through the Webwise Internet Safety Programme to support teachers, students and parents on online safety. Webwise is part of Oide, the Department of Education funded Integrated Teacher Education Support Service.

Webwise is a member of the Safer Internet Ireland consortium and partners with ISPCC Childline, Hotline.ie and the National Parents Council (NPC) under the umbrella of the Irish Safer Internet Centre to provide a range of complementary online safety services.

Webwise is funded by my Department and the EU Internet Safety Initiative. Webwise promotes the autonomous, effective and safe 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. It develops and disseminates resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools (mostly through delivery of the SPHE curriculum).

The webwise.ie resource includes a dedicated School/Teachers Hub, a Parents Hub and a Youth Hub which give practical information and advice on the safe, ethical and responsible use of the internet and addresses key issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, image sharing, respectful communication, social media, popular apps and more.

The School/Teachers Hub also includes a range of curricular supports for teachers that they can use when teaching pupils/students about online safety including how to deal with cyberbullying and online harassment and the importance of respectful online communication.

Webwise has also created the Cyberbullying Guidance for Teachers Information Hub to provide guidance to teachers and school leaders on the issue of cyberbullying, creating an anti-cyberbullying culture and promoting student’s well-being including online well-being. It also supports teachers and school leaders participating in its online cyberbullying courses. The hub provides access to a range of supports including the online cyberbullying courses, expert advice videos, course resources, Webwise resources, along with other useful anti-cyberbullying resources.

The Webwise Parents Hub helps promote the link between home and schools provides guidance and practical information to parents on key issues such as the use of technology in the home, parental controls, screen time, emerging technologies, respectful online communication, cyber bullying, sexting and image sharing and how to engage positively in their children’s online lives.

The Webwise Youth Hub is a proactive and creative hub for young people. It is a place where young people can get advice on internet safety and become more involved in making the internet a better place for all users. It contains a range of video and promotional campaigns by Webwise and its youth panellists that tackle issues such as cyberbullying, image sharing and sexting and advice on where to get help.

The Webwise Safer Internet Day Ambassador Programme is an important aspect of internet safety in schools and the prevention of bullying and encourages the active involvement of students in building a positive school climate. Webwise developed this peer-led training programme to encourage students to take a leading role in Safer Internet Day and explore topics important to them. Safer Internet Day is an annual EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people.