Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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217. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the efforts being made by her Department to support parents and communities in helping children to navigate online risks. [14658/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The wellbeing of all learners is a key priority of the Department of Education, as well as the empowerment of parents and school communities through education and information. The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out the 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.

Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies is a key component of the strategy.

Webwise is part of the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre, part of the Irish Server Internet Centre, supporting teachers, students and parents on online safety. Webwise provide a wide range of training material and resources. The Irish Safer Internet Centre partners are Webwise, Hotline.ie, ISPCC Childline and National Parents Council. Webwise is funded by the Department of Education and the EU Internet Safety Initiative.

Webwise (webwise.ie) 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.

The resource includes a dedicated School/Teachers Hub, a Parents Hub and a Youth Hub. These give practical information and advice on the safe, ethical and responsible use of the internet and address key issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, image sharing, respectful communication, social media, popular apps and more. Webwise will continue to develop and disseminate relevant resources and run campaigns addressing key topical issues as they arise.

The Department published guidelines in 2023 for parents called Keeping Childhood Smartphone Free. The aim is to support parents of primary school children who wish to agree collectively on a voluntary agreement on the use of smartphones for their primary school age child.

Following on from these guidelines, a “Digital Citizenship Champions” programme was developed. It is designed to equip primary teachers with essential knowledge, skills and resources to effectively teach and champion digital citizenship in schools and through their local education centres. An “Agree to Agree” pilot online safety initiative is also underway across three education centres and involves 21 primary schools.

In 2024, all schools, both primary and post-primary, were instructed to implement a restriction on the use of mobile phones during the school day. This policy approach is based on the growing concerns expressed about the impact of the use of mobile phones during the school day.

Coimisiún na Meán is responsible for Ireland’s Online Safety Framework and issues relating to social media and online platforms falls within its remit. The Department through Webwise is engaging with An Coimisiún, including on assisting in raising awareness of its new educational resources being developed about the rights of children and young people under the Online Safety Framework, and aligning and embedding those in Webwise and OIDE Technology in Education content.

The Programme for Government commits to continuing to implement the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE)/Relationships and Sexuality (RSE) curricula and provide resources and training for their effective delivery. Addressing relevant issues, and online safety, through this curricular content, will support our children and young people to develop empathy and awareness, safeguarding themselves and others as they navigate the online world.

In addition, Oide, the Department funded support service for teachers and school leaders, provides a variety of professional learning to teachers that places the learner at the centre of the learning experience. It provides school-based supports, workshops, specific resources and training online and in person. Oide has dedicated Wellbeing teams at Primary and Post-Primary.

Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was published in 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. Cineáltas incorporates each of the nine components of UNESCO’s Whole Education Approach to prevent and address bullying. An implementation plan for Cineáltas was published in 2023 and work on Implementation of its 61 actions is well advanced.