Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012
226. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the work carried out to date of the working group on bullying; if he will report on its findings and actions to date; if he will update Dáil Éireann on its current membership; if he will advise Dáil Éireann of the working group's envisaged work programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45945/12]
View answerAlongside the Anti-Bullying Forum which took place in May 2012, I established a working group to examine issues related to tackling all forms and types of bullying in schools. As you are probably aware, there is a specific commitment in the Programme for Government to address the very serious issue of homophobic bullying in schools and this is part of the working groups remit.
I invited stakeholders and all interested parties to submit their views for consideration by the Working Group. Over 60 submissions have been received. The outcomes and recommendations from the Forum, along with the submissions received from interested parties, are assisting the working group in its deliberations. The Group is chaired by a Principal Officer in my Department's Central Policy Unit and includes representatives from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) and BeLonG To Youth Services. My Department's Inspectorate, School Governance Section and my office are also represented on the Group.
Over the last few months, the Group has been consulting with a range of stakeholders and with colleagues in Scotland and the UK. The Group are working on an action plan recommending further measures that can be taken to effectively tackle bullying in schools. The Group expects to complete its work by the end of the year.
