Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2012
372. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of recent high profile deaths of school children, if he will outline the steps, if any, he intends to take to address the issue of cyber bullying; when the revised anti-bullying guidelines will be issued to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48567/12]
View answerI am fully aware of the seriousness of the issue of bullying and it was for that reason that an Anti-Bullying Forum was held in May this year. As a follow on to that Forum, I invited the stakeholders and any other interested parties to submit their views on this important topic to my Department by 29th June 2012. As part of this consultation, interested parties were requested to indicate their views and proposals on any changes to existing practices and policies in schools that could improve how bullying can be tackled in schools.
I have also established a working group to address the issue of tackling bullying in schools, including cyber-bullying. During the course of its work, the working group will be considering the outcomes from the Anti-Bullying Forum together with the submissions received. Over the last few months, the working group has been consulting with a range of stakeholders and with counterparts in Scotland and the UK. The Group is 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.
