Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Education and Skills

School Discipline

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to address gender-based violence and harassment in educational institutions such as schools. [46494/24]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for your correspondence in relation to steps my Department is taking to address gender-based violence and harassment in higher educational institutions.

The Government takes a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, as is set out in the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, 2022-2026. This is an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept sexual violence, nor the attitudes which underpin it, and my Department is actively engaged in driving towards the realisation of the Strategy's objectives.

Higher education institutions have a duty of care to ensure that staff and students have a safe environment to study and work, and that is free from bullying, harassment or other forms of unwanted behaviour. The Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Higher Education Institutions Implementation Plan, 2022 – 2025, focuses specifically on the higher education system and seeks to advance the wide range of initiatives currently in place to support a zero tolerance approach to issues of sexual violence and harassment in our HEIs.

The HEA Centre for Excellence in Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is responsible for monitoring progress towards delivery of the actions contained in the Implementation Plan, and works closely with the Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions on driving progress on the Plan’s objectives. In terms of progress, it is important to highlight the 16 Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Manager posts which have been established and recruited into higher education institutions.

Additionally, progressive, evidence-based training on consent, such as the Active Consent programme based out of the University of Galway and now run nationally, and the Bystander initiative in UCC which seeks to educate and empower students to stand up against unacceptable behaviour and abuse, are landmark programmes continuing to drive positive change across campuses.

Further, following a pilot in recent years, it is anticipated that a National Speak Out Office will be established later this year, to be hosted in Trinity College, Dublin. This will manage and coordinate the Speak Out initiative, an anonymous online tool for reporting harassment, bullying or other experiences in the higher education sector.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science works closely with the Higher Education Authority Centre of Excellence on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on this critical area of work, and with stakeholders across the sector, and across Government and society, to support culture change and the driving of best practice behaviours with regard to tackling sexual violence, harassment and bullying.

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