Vol. 789 No. 1
127. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of discussions on the achievement of a second Croke Park deal, his views on whether new entrants to the teaching profession should be protected from any further cuts and that there should be no new measures specifically targeting new entrants to the profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2707/13]
It would not be appropriate that I comment on discussions with public service unions which are ongoing under the aegis of the Labour Relations Commission.
The Deputy will be aware that the previous Government imposed a pay reduction of 10% on new entrants to the public service, and also decided that new entrants should enter on the first point of the relevant scale. This resulted in a combined reduction of 14% in the salary of new entrant teachers. More recently, this Government decided to abolish qualification allowances for all new beneficiaries with effect from 1 February 2012, as part of the public service-wide allowances review. In order to substantially mitigate the impact of this measure, it was decided that new entrant teachers, who will not be paid qualification allowances, will start on a new pay scale on a point equivalent to the fourth point of the existing scale.
In my view, this approach indicates a real understanding on the part of the Government of the issues facing young teachers.
I thank the Minister for that response.
Over the past year, we have seen the emergence of a two-tier system in the teaching profession. Teachers who qualified as recently as 2010 and are on starting salaries, including allowances, of €39,000 are now teaching alongside newly qualified teachers who are on the new pay scale of €30,000, some 30% less than their colleagues.
We must continue to attract highly qualified teachers into the profession because that provides the basis for ensuring that students get the best possible education and is the platform on which the rest of our education system is built.
I would like to hear the Minister's comments on the negotiation of the new Croke Park agreement. Can he give an assurance that there will be no further hits on newly qualified teachers in the agreement? Can he also give an assurance that he will address the emergence of the two-tier system and ensure that newly qualified teachers receive equal treatment with their more experienced colleagues.
I am not going to comment on ongoing negotiations which have only just commenced. It would not help the successful outcome of those negotiations or accelerate their coming to a conclusion.
Young trainee accountants and solicitors and other people who have recently qualified from formal college have gone into the private sector at salaries that are considerably less than what prevailed previously. In some cases, entire firms of professionals, such as solicitors, have reduced their salaries, as has happened with the public sector. In some larger institutions, different trainees are at different rates of pay because of the time they entered the profession. This is not confined to the public service.
It is not fair, but I do not think we can we address it in the short term. I would expect, however, that in any subsequent major talks the trade union movement will have on its agenda the equalisation of pay grades between people doing the same job, because the principle of the same pay for the same job still prevails.
We had no discretion, given that the Croke Park agreement confirmed that there would be no further reductions in the salaries of existing public service employees.
All we could do was offer a reduced salary to new entrants. Difficult as that is, there are still nine applicants for every student training place in the country. The demand from young people coming out of secondary school to get into colleges of education is still remarkably high and I want it to remain so. The current situation is less than fully satisfactory.
There is undoubtedly a high demand for training places in third level colleges, and that is reflected in the numbers of young people who want to enter the teaching profession. We must ensure we retain those people in the country and that teaching is the sort of profession they want to stay in and perform well in. Our education system will be much better off as a result.
We saw the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform outline what he hoped to achieve in the allowances system and he then came back with 1% of his original target. The Government is targeting recruits who are not in a position to defend themselves because in most cases they have not yet been employed. As a result, a two-tier system is emerging. The Minister claims this system is a result of the Croke Park agreement. Does he believe that in the negotiations currently under way it will be possible to achieve a system with greater equity so new teachers do not take the hit and we can retain those who want to become teachers?
As I said at the outset, I am not going to anticipate the outcome of the current negotiations. All of those on both sides of the table know what the issues are and any comments from me in this House would not be helpful. We must wait and see what progress they make and what progress is possible. We want to continue to correct our public finances, maintain job security for those in the public service and reduce overall operating costs with no disruption in the delivery of the public services we all depend upon. No other country in Europe is doing that as successfully as Ireland, certainly no other country that has an 8% budget deficit.
In the context of the number of recently qualified teachers looking for jobs, and the numbers who are anxious to get into the training colleges, has the Department been in contact with the private sector teaching training institutes? All of us have people coming to our constituency clinics and telling us of the difficulty in finding work in the private or public sectors. The publicly funded training institutes have limited their intake as a result of the economic downturn. Has there been any engagement between the Department of Education and Skills and the private sector about the number of graduates it is producing on an annual basis?
We are in contact with the main provider in the private sector, Hibernia College, which trains online with educational engagement on an outreach basis for qualified graduates who wish to become primary school teachers. We have no formal relationship with the college that would regulate the number of graduates it can produce. That is a matter for the market as far as the college is concerned, but it keeps a close eye on overall demand.
128. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made on the development of an implementation plan for those sections of the EPSEN Act 2004 that have yet to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2700/13]
The Deputy will be aware that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act have been commenced. However, in the light of the very difficult economic situation and the significant costs involved, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN.
The National Council for Special Education had suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235 million per annum across the education and health sectors would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act. My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required could be greater.
The NCSE has been asked to provide comprehensive policy advice on how the education system can best support children with special needs. This advice will guide the preparation of a plan on how aspects of EPSEN can be implemented, including the prioritising of access to children with special needs to an individual education plan.
I thank the Minister for his response. While the EPSEN Act 2004 remains the milestone in the provision of statutory rights for children with special educational needs, there is a significant number of sections within the Act that have yet to be commenced, particularly on individual education plans.
I point out to the Minister that the programme for Government committed to publishing a plan for the implementation of the EPSEN Act. It stated:
We will publish a plan for the implementation of the EPSEN Act 2004 to prioritise access for children with special needs to an individual education plan. The priority will be to move to a system where necessary supports follow a child from primary to second level and to achieve greater integration of special needs-related services.
Today, an article in The Irish Times highlighted concerns that have been expressed by a number of autism groups that a growing number of children with special educational needs are being made to fit services not appropriate to them. Many parents are being left with little choice but to accept whatever places are available even if they do not meet their child's specific assessed needs. Can the Minister give us the timeframe within which he expects to achieve the programme for Government commitment to introduce the implementation plan?
The NCSE has been asked to provide policy advice on the appropriate nature and configuration of educational supports which should be allocated to schools to provide a student with special educational needs with the opportunity to participate in and benefit from education and, generally, to develop his or her potential in accordance with sections 4(6) and 7(3) of the EPSEN Act. This advice will include the identification and assessment of children with special needs, the nature of supports provided for children, the way in which supports are allocated to schools and how these supports are to be configured. The advice will also consider how the allocation and utilisation of additional resources might be linked to the provision of an individual education plan. This advice is expected early in 2013.
It is crucial that the Minister tries to pursue the matter as promptly as possible. I understand the resource implications involved but in line with the policy objectives that have been set out since 2004, it is crucial the Minister prioritises it to ensure that children from a young age are given the assistance they need to develop as individuals.
When anyone elected to this House was coming through the education system, it bore little resemblance to the services that are available today. When I myself was going through it, the word "dyslexia" was not part of anybody's lexicon. Indeed, I have met many of those who would have been in school with me at the time who discovered later in life that such was something they were affected by, and yet nobody had any notion of it at the time and, indeed, they suffered. As the Minister stated earlier, "A stitch in time saves nine". It is time to ensure that appropriate services are delivered and I urge the Minister to ensure that the implementation plan is brought forward as quickly as possible.
I will keep the House informed of progress. We are waiting for the NCSE to come back to us with its recommendations.
I welcome what the Minister stated in terms of the progress report.
The Minister may be aware, from his colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, that there is a reconfiguration of services being undertaken by the HSE which is impacting on the provision of services, particularly to special schools. I wonder what type of communication is taking place between the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and the Minister, Deputy Reilly's Department because there is a crossover in terms of the provision of resources, particularly to special schools.
In my county, there is a great deal of concern around the proposed reconfiguration of services. We have seen what happened in Limerick when those services were reconfigured where it put incredible strain and stress on the provision of services in special schools. Can the Minister give us some indication of the type of dialogue which is happening between both Departments?
Following on from the previous speaker, no doubt everybody would accept there is a blurring of lines between the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Skills, even in terms of making the representations. I would agree with the previous speaker that something should be done about that.
The great shame is that between 2004 and 2011 we had a fantastic opportunity to commence all the sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, but it was not done. There is considerable talk at the moment about renegotiation of public services. Would the Minister give consideration to the more achievable elements in that Act which may not cost as much as other sections might but which would have a major impact in the classroom for children with an intellectual disability or physical special needs and for their parents and teachers? In the absence of resources we may not again get an opportunity to put these issues on the table for negotiation with the unions. If this was considered in discussions on a successor to the Croke Park agreement, it would do a great service to the people.
The point of contact with the Department of Health or the delivery of the relevant services from the overall Department of Health's array of services would be through the National Council for Special Education and not through the Department of Education and Skills per se. In due course the NCSE would advise us as to what level of engagement and what kinds of services it is trying to get and share with the Department of Health, where appropriate, and what the cost implications would be from our point of view. We are not at that point. As I said in reply to Deputy McConalogue, I am expecting the advice early in 2013, but I have no indication as to what that means or when precisely I will have it.
129. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will amend proposed procurement rules requiring schools to purchase stationery from one national supplier in order that they may purchase from local stationery suppliers who are able to offer similar or better value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2718/13]
The national procurement service is focused on developing centralised arrangements for the procurement of goods and services used commonly across the public service nationwide. The benefits arising from these central arrangements include cash savings, administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering, greater purchasing expertise, improved consistency and enhanced service levels.
Within the education sector, the mandatory arrangement relating to stationery currently applies to the higher education and VEC sectors. I understand that the national procurement service is working on a new contract for stationery which will be in place from April 2013.
My Department is working on a procurement circular for schools and the content of this will be the subject of discussion with the national procurement service and the school management bodies. I understand that officials from the Department of Education and Skills and the NPS are meeting on 28 January to discuss these matters further.
I have a specific personal interest in this matter. I am sure the Minister has received representations from different parts of the country already. This move is causing considerable concern among small stationery retailers in towns and villages throughout the country for whom a substantial part of their business is supplying their local schools and educational institutions. If this proceeds as planned in April, it will remove a very significant part of their trade. Last week the Cabinet met to discuss the jobs initiative. Although we need to ensure we get greater savings in procurement, we also need to consider the wider impact of every policy measure we take. This proposal will take money from existing small businesses in towns and villages for national objectives and in many cases there may not be any saving. We are missing out on employment and economic activity in those areas. Having spoken to stationery suppliers, I know that the local suppliers are able to provide as good value and in many instances better value than what is being agreed with the national procurement service. The procurement guidelines provided to schools should certainly provide a list of what is available from the national central supplier, but at a minimum if schools can show they are getting equal or better value from their local suppliers, they should be allowed to purchase from them. In that way we can ensure we do our utmost to keep that economic activity and those small businesses operating at local level.
I fully understand the Deputy's point of view, particularly where it relates to a multiplicity of suppliers, for example, in the area of stationery provision.
This issue, among others, will be discussed at the meeting on 28 January between the Department and the national procurement service. It is different from electricity or energy suppliers, of which there are, perhaps, only one or two providers in the first instance.
I have no difficulty with what the Deputy has just articulated, namely, that where the procurement service sets the going rate for the cost of a particular commodity at X and that commodity is a multiple use type commodity, such as extra supplies of stationery, and a local school can demonstrate that it can purchase that commodity locally at the same rate or lower, then it should not be compelled to use the centralised facility. The purpose of this is to ensure efficiency in the cost of procurement rather than the allocation of the contract to a particular provider of the service.
We will no doubt come back to this topic as I have received the type of representations articulated by the Deputy. The picture will become clearer after 28 January. On the principle of a benchmark price being set for a commodity regularly used by the education system and that price being met by an alternative supplier who is providing employment in the locality, I do not believe anybody could argue with that.
I appreciate the Minister's response and his willingness to engage on this issue to ensure a common sense approach is taken to it. I acknowledge that savings can be made in terms of national procurement deals. However, it is important the Minister is willing to engage with small business providers in this regard and that it is made clear in the departmental guidelines and circulars to schools that they have the option to continue to work with local suppliers providing equal value. If this is not clarified it will lead to schools adhering only to the national guidelines. It is crucial this is addressed appropriately. I welcome the Minister's comments and ask that he follow up this matter to ensure it is brought to a sensible conclusion.
I will keep a keen interest in this matter, as it is one which concerns me. I will keep the Deputy informed.
130. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the numbers of students, on a county basis, who progressed to higher education courses as a result of qualifications gained from participating in post leaving certificate courses in 2011/12. [2669/13]
The PLC programme provides an integrated general education, vocational training and work experience programme for young people who have completed their leaving certificate and for adults returning to education. The specific breakdown requested of numbers progressing from PLC courses to higher education is not available as the Higher Education Authority does not hold data on new entrants by previous qualification. This is, perhaps, something which might be done by SOLAS when it comes into existence.
Recent information from the CAO shows that the number of applicants who are offered and accept a place based on presenting a FETAC qualification has increased significantly from 599 in 2001 to 3,065 in 2012. The higher education links scheme, which links specific further education qualifications to reserved places in higher education institutions, is being continually developed to improve progression opportunities from further education to higher education in 40 universities, institutes of technology and private colleges.
I agree with the Minister that SOLAS may have a role in generating these data. I am concerned about the proposed changes in the recent budget in regard to the pupil-teacher ratio, PTR, for further education colleges, which many people use as a stepping stone to higher education, in particular people who may not have received academic qualifications on completion of their post-primary education and entered the workforce at that point and now want to access higher education. The further education stepping stone is vital to these people. This is also an issue of concern for the unions and for many of the learners to whom I have spoken during recent weeks, especially people from disadvantaged backgrounds who left post-primary education without any academic qualifications. I ask that the Minister take this into account.
As far as I am aware an impact review is being done with regard to the proposed announcement on the pupil teacher ratio. If we do not have this type of data now we must rectify this, and if this will be the role of SOLAS then so be it.
Today the Cabinet passed the draft SOLAS legislation and it will be circulated. With the agreement of the whips I hope to take it soon. As I have stated previously, SOLAS will become for the further education sector what the Higher Education Authority is for higher education. The type of statistical information about which the Deputy has asked and which is not available must become available so we can tailor courses to meet the increasing demand from people who are not making their way into further and higher education through the qualifications framework and the traditional post-primary school route of the CAO and points system. All of the information I have received indicates the split between those going through the CAO and points system and others will further equalise to the point where it could be 50:50 in years to come. We must have this information to ensure the stepping stone courses, to which the Deputy referred, which enable somebody to get into a "mainstream" university or institution of technology course must be properly provided, and to do this we need data to understand the nature of demand and its location. As I see it, SOLAS will do this.
This would certainly be welcome. A concern about the proposed budget changes is that some courses may have to be discontinued. During the Private Members' debate last week it was stated that it is down to the CEOs and principals of further education colleges to prioritise the courses which need to be protected. In the absence of this data it will be difficult for them to do so, and this needs to be addressed. It will not be a particular focus of the SOLAS legislation, but when SOLAS is up and running this is the type of thing it needs to do.
I agree with the Deputy and the sooner we make progress in this area the better.
131. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give consideration to introducing an annual education impact study in advance of the budget each year so as to ensure that the impact of changes to staffing schedules are properly assessed in advance of decisions being taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2696/13]
Government decisions on reductions in resources in any area are not taken lightly nor are they done in isolation from the likely impact. The key challenge is to do this while also improving outcomes. We all have to achieve more with less.
Within the schools sector we know from international research that while class size is a factor the quality of teaching is a far more significant factor in determining successful outcomes. We therefore have to focus on the drivers of good performance. We need to have the right people becoming teachers, we need the right training for them in college and we need to support them with the right professional development throughout their educational career. To this end we are making significant changes to both the structure and format of initial teacher education so that our colleges and teachers are comparable with the best in the world.
At school level we need to foster and develop a culture of self-evaluation. In addition to supporting school self-evaluation, our school inspection system will continue to provide robust external evaluation of schools and promote improvement in quality and standards in teaching and learning. This, along with targeted initiatives such as those for improving literacy and numeracy, will all help to restore and improve our education system and how it compares with our international competitors.
I thank the Minister for his reply. During Private Members' time last week and on Friday my party brought forward, with the support of the other Opposition parties and I thank Deputy O'Brien for his party's support, a proposal to require the Minister and the Department to ensure an impact assessment is done in advance of introducing budgetary measures which impact on education. The Minister spoke about ensuring schools conduct self-evaluations, with which I agree. Evaluation at all stages in the education system is important to measure effectiveness. However, it is crucial that the same self-evaluation is also undertaken at departmental and political level. Since the Minister took office he has introduced a number of budgetary cuts, such as cuts to DEIS schools, and an impact assessment was not done.
In fact, in partially reversing those DEIS cuts the Minister himself said he had not fully evaluated the impact they would have and that if he had done so he would not have taken that decision.
The pupil-teacher ratio cuts in further education were discussed in detail here last week. I see, however, that after making that decision the Minister has asked County Dublin VEC for an impact assessment. That evaluation should have been done before the decision was taken. We will now see the impact it will have on the ability of many colleges of further education to carry out that work and continue the courses they provide. It will affect many specialist courses in particular.
From now on, there should be an engagement concerning the impact assessment and it should be published. There should also be an engagement with the education committees and the sector generally as to the impact of any proposals before they are introduced.
I understand what the Deputy is proposing and I have read the comments he has made elsewhere in this regard. In reference to last year's budget, I was not proposing to cut DEIS resources as such. I was trying to equalise out of the system what we refer to as legacy posts in which one school had more resources than another, even though they were both categorised as being in precisely the same socio-economic area of distress. Perhaps I should have been wise and realised that what people have they hold, no matter what basis it has come to and how they have acquired it.
Always equalise upwards.
Yes.
That is life.
The process of decision-making - some day, no doubt, the Deputy will be in this process of responsibility - is to examine a proposal and try to assess what its likely impact would be. Part of our difficulty in the further education and current VEC side is that the Department has incomplete information as to the precise detail on the ground. It is a legacy of the past and is one of the reasons why we are moving towards the education and training boards. In order to find out what would be the impact of equalising the PTR for post-primary schools and PLCs, we would have had to ask every one of the 33 VECs. They in turn would have had to get results and feedback from their own colleges. We simply would not have had the time to do that and we are not sure that we would necessarily have got the accurate information. As we know, only about three or four areas are significantly impacted by this, including Cork City, Dublin County and Dublin City, which are up around 20 or 30. After that, when one looks at the list it is down to two or three in any one county VEC.
When the VECs are merged into the ETBs there will be the possibility for those people to be accommodated elsewhere. Let us be clear, however, that it is a saving and we will be reducing the number of full-time or whole-time equivalent jobs.
As regards the exact number of people who can be redeployed back into the system in other vacancies, I will have to wait until the CEOs tell us what that is. We do not have the information in the Department of Education and Skills to undertake that exercise. I am not so sure that we should have.
Question No. 132 is in the name of Deputy Sean Fleming. I call the Minister.
I said I would provide additional information to the House on SUSI. Would I be in order to do so now? You can rule on whether or not I should give this information, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I can do it at the end of questions or I can do it now, whichever you rule.
Is it agreed to have the information provided now? Agreed.
I will make the figures available to the House so the Deputy does not necessarily have to take them down. The correct figures for the numbers of students paid by SUSI as of last Friday, 18 January, are as follows: awarded to date, 30,658; provisionally awarded, 1,185; total paid grants, 19,743; total paid fee-only awards, 5,949; total overall paid by SUSI, 25,692; and awarded but still awaiting some form of payment, 3,781. Of that 3,871 still awaiting some form of payment, the vast majority of these students have not submitted their bank account details to SUSI.
SUSI is telephoning students proactively to get their banking details. I will arrange for this information to be placed in Members' post boxes later today.
132. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the recent Higher Education Authority discussion document which recommends cutting the number of third level institutions from 39 to 24; when he intends to begin rolling out reform at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2692/13]
160. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the findings of a document published by the Higher Education Authority, which recommends the number of third-level colleges in the State should be cut from 39 to 24. [2679/13]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 160 together.
The discussion document in question has been circulated to the higher education institutions by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, to form a basis for further engagement with institutions on an outline configuration for the future higher education system and is not intended to be definitive. I do not propose to comment on specific details of the paper in that respect as it is a further stage in the landscape process being undertaken by the HEA. Following the institutional submissions on their future strategic fit within the system and the commission by the HEA of a range of expert analyses and this further engagement, the authority will return formal advice in March 2013 on the optimal configuration for the future system for my careful consideration.
I thank the Aire for his response. I have a concern regarding the present position of the third level sector and as to what is the medium to long-term plan. While consultations are ongoing, there has been a failure to grasp the nettle of the problems with regard to funding the third level sector. In particular, this has been the case in respect of promises the Minister made while in opposition on the registration fee whereby students' fees have been increased rather than decreased, as had been promised. Institutions in the third level sector face difficulties in ascertaining what will be their status in the medium term and what precisely this reform will mean for them. While they have been asked to revert with suggestions, there is a concern that what will transpire will be a reduction of and restriction in the breadth of courses available, rather than an opportunity for institutions to grow arising from these reforms. Although some duplication undoubtedly exists, which can be addressed, this issue appears to be the primary focus thus far with regard to the reform process. However, that part of the process pertaining to how the third level sector might be developed further has not been getting the requisite attention and justifiable concerns exist within the sector as to what will be the development potential in the future, as opposed to further cuts to the services being provided at present. This sort of confusion is not helpful to the development of the sector and it is important for the Minister to provide the sector with greater clarity as to how he envisages progress on the developmental side of the third level institutions as part of this reform.
Briefly, there are four stages to the process of reconfiguration in the institutes of technology, IOT, sector. I can talk separately about the university and wider third-level college sectors because initial teacher education has been dealt with separately. Both Deputies will be familiar with the proposal whereby 19 institutions have been brought down to six configurations. In respect of the IOT sector, following the publication of the Hunt report just two years ago in January 2011, the document was circulated. On foot of the recommendations of the aforementioned report, the HEA wrote to all 14 of those institutions, asking where they saw themselves in the future and what plans did they have for themselves. They submitted a set of proposals last summer, which were then evaluated by the HEA. As I indicated at a gathering of all the presidents and chairpersons of the aforementioned institutions, the HEA stated there was considerable double-counting, as well as a lot of aspirational expressions of hope that did not fit reality. Moreover, estimates of additional research funding and of foreign students were unrealistic because the same two, three or four institutions were estimating the same number of foreign students, thereby double or triple-counting. In the past week, in the second stage of the process, an initial response by the HEA has gone out in which the authority has set out configurations or clustering it considers to be realistic. This document has been sent out for consideration, discussion and response by the institutions themselves, which is the second stage. The third stage then will be when they revert to discuss it or when they have communicated with the HEA.
The HEA at the end of March will produce a report and ask institutions what they want to do in future in a wide open sense. That is the first stage. We have responded to the unrealistic nature of some of what they are aspiring too. We have also asked them for a much more detailed specific recommendation, indicating that all things being considered, this is what is being recommended to the Minister on the path that should be travelled. That is what I will receive at the beginning of April or end of March. I will then indicate the recommended future configuration of the institute of technology landscape in the country. At that stage I have no doubt that we will have a debate in the House on the issue.
Deputy O'Brien has a similar question.
The Minister has covered the issue comprehensively and I know Deputy Wallace wishes to have his question addressed.
133. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to tackle bullying in schools; if he will outline in particular his plans to deal with homophobic bullying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2635/13]
150. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the work of the working group on tackling bullying; if he has received an action plan from the working group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2634/13]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 150 together.
The Deputy may be aware that I asked the anti-bullying working group to submit its report and draft action plan to me by 30 November. The working group met this deadline and I was satisfied at that time with the progress it made. The working group identified a number of tasks that needed to be completed before finalising the plan and it continued to work on this project throughout December and the early part of January. I am pleased to say that I will be publishing the report and action plan on Thursday this week and I will be outlining my response at that time. I assure the Deputy that I am committed to taking real action on this issue.
The action plan is to be welcomed as work has been needed in this area for some time. There is a bullying issue regarding social media and computer communications. I am not as au fait with computers as my children are, and this problem is shared by many parents, so perhaps we must educate parents in dealing with such issues. Bullying probably still goes on in the school yard and teachers are probably under more pressure now because they have fewer resources. Will the action plan on bullying advise schools on how to help victims deal with bullying, as there is much focus on encouraging schools to record bullying incidents and parents to regulate Internet usage? Will some of the €500,000 budget for the initiative go to counselling or support for victims and will somebody sit down with these kids to address the bullying content? There should be an open discussion about the fact that there is nothing wrong with being gay or looking different to one's peers. One should even be allowed wear long hair or a pink shirt. Kids can become victims of harassment.
Is the Deputy being bullied?
Is he bullied?
Deputies will be delighted to hear that I am not being bullied, not even by the media. The role of a bully must be taken on before one can be bullied.
This is Question Time and I am not bullying the Deputy either.
Not even about the colour of his shirt.
Neither the Leas-Cheann Comhairle nor I can comment on the length of Deputy Wallace's hair. This is a significant document and I am very pleased that the work done by the working group will be published on Thursday. I invite the House to consider debating the document or just perusing it. It is not the final answer and I do not know if there will ever be a final answer to the problem. Nevertheless, it is a significant advance on what was done before and the guidelines have not been revised in the past 20 years. The issue of homophobic bullying was not addressed in that context but it has been now. We have come to understand cyber-bullying as a 24/7 nightmare for some people, as bullying in the school yard, to which the Deputy referred, could at least be escaped. The issue will not go away and it requires much education and understanding right across the social and generational spectrum.
Does the Minister agree that counselling is a significant element of this issue? It could mean much to the kids who are victims of bullying. With cuts to guidance counsellors, we should surely provide more detail on that area.
Time prevents me from doing so now but counselling will be part and parcel of the measures. That feeds into the earlier question on guidance counsellors and the question of pastoral care in second level schools. The issue is embodied in part by the new proposals for junior cycle reform, with an aim of helping young people to be conscious of their own well-being and minding themselves. Those issues were never mainstreamed in the past but we will do so in the reformed curriculum of the junior cycle.
