Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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461. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how schools are reviewing anti-bullying policies annually; and how many schools are reviewing anti bullying policies; in tabular form. [16593/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2013 anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools, Boards of Management are required to undertake an annual review of their school’s anti-bullying policy and its implementation.

Following this review, the school must put in place an action plan to address any identified areas for improvement. Written notification that the review has been completed must be made available to school personnel, published on the school website (or where none exists, be otherwise readily accessible to parents and pupils on request) and provided to the parents’ association, where one exists. Schools are not required to notify the department that the review has been carried out however, a record of the review and its outcome must be made available, if requested, to the school’s patron and to the department.

My department published updated anti-bullying procedures for schools on 19 June 2024, titled Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

The requirements of these procedures will come into effect from the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year.

Under the updated procedures, schools are required to engage with their school community to develop their Bí Cineálta policy. This includes the board of management, school staff, students and their parents.

As part of Bí Cineálta, schools must review their Bí Cineálta policy each calendar year or as soon as practicable where the Board of Management determines that a review is warranted. The review should be completed with input from the school community which includes the Board of Management, staff, students and their parents and members of the wider school community as appropriate. Schools should engage with their student council, where one exists, and their parents’ association, where one exists, to obtain their views on the content and effectiveness of the school’s Bí Cineálta policy.

A template, provided in Bí Cineálta, must be completed to confirm that all aspects of the annual review are completed. The school community must be given notice that the annual review has taken place. This confirmation should be published on the school website once the annual review has taken place.

Schools are not required to notify the department that the review has been carried out however, a record of the review and its outcome must be made available, if requested, to the department.

In addition to the annual review, where bullying behaviour has had a serious adverse impact on a student, schools must review the measures that they took to prevent and address bullying behaviour, with a view to identifying lessons that could be learned, so as to prevent a similar situation arising in the future. This may require an update to the school’s Bí Cineálta policy.

During the current school year, the department is supporting the implementation of the procedures through a suite of professional learning resources and information sessions for school staff, Board of Management members and parents.

Information seminars on the updated procedures were held throughout October 2024 which were open to school leaders from every school. Oide is currently offering targeted professional learning to two staff members from each school in the country, one of which must be a school leader. Furthermore, all schools can avail of a half-day closure in the current school year in order to engage with all school staff on the requirements of the updated anti-bullying procedures.

The National Parents Council have also updated their own anti-bullying training for parents to take account of the Bí Cineálta procedures, and the department has also provided resources to Management Bodies to update their training of Boards of Management.

The Inspectorate conducts checks in schools related to various aspects of the schools' anti-bullying procedures. During inspections such as incidental inspections, subject inspections, and programme evaluations, the Inspectorate ensures that:

· The school has an anti-bullying policy that aligns with the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (2013) or Bí Cineálta (2024) and is reviewed annually.

· The policy is published on the school's website or is easily accessible to key stakeholders, including the board of management, teachers, parents, and students.

During inspections such as Whole-School Evaluations (WSE), Evaluation of Action Planning for Improvement in DEIS Schools, and evaluations of schools in Special Care Units and Detention Centres, the Inspectorate ensures:

· Compliance with the policy requirements outlined in Level One.

· The presence of initiatives to promote a positive and inclusive school culture.

· Teachers’ awareness of the policy—teachers visited during inspections must confirm that they have read the policy and understand their roles in preventing and addressing bullying.