Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:145. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a reply will issue to an interim letter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48234/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 November 2013
Ceisteanna (145)
Freagraí scríofa
I wish to inform the Deputy that the following reply issued on 11 November.
Mr. Charlie McConalogue TD
Dáil Éireann,
Dublin 2.
PLEASE QUOTE REF NUMBER ON ALL CORRESPONDENCE.
Our Ref: 1304578 /SR
November 2013
Dear Deputy McConalogue
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, T.D., has asked me to refer again to your recent correspondence in relation to BeatBullying Ireland.
In this regard, please find attached a letter which issued to Mr. Niall Cowley of BeatBullying Ireland on the 6th November.
Yours sincerely,
_____________________
Ronnie Ryan
Private Secretary
An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna
Sráid Maoilbhríde
Baile Atha Cliath 1
Department of Education and Skills
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1
Mr. Niall Cowley
Group International Director
The BB Group
Rochester House
4 Belvedere Road
London SE192AT
England
6 November 2013
Dear Mr Cowley,
I refer to previous correspondence and meetings in relation to extending the BeatBullying programme to Ireland and in particular to the revised proposal of June 2013 forwarded by you to my colleague, Deirdre McDonnell.
Your proposal and request for grant aid have been examined in the Department. Having reviewed the proposal, it would not be possible to approve grant aid for the proposed project
As you will be aware, the Action Plan on Bullying, the Report of the Anti-Bullying Working Group to the Minister for Education and Skills, was published in January of this year. Hie Action Plan concluded that, taking into account all of die research reviewed and submissions and presentations received, no one particular anti-bullying programme should be recommended for schools in Ireland to use. Instead, the Action Plan recommended that the emphasis should be on the core principles that should underpin a school's approach to preventing and tackling bullying. These form the basis of the new Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-primary schools, which were published by the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, T.D., and made available to schools in September. This approach will be implemented in all schools over the coming year. The new procedures are designed to take a whole school approach to all aspects of bullying, including cyber bullying and issues of diversity and respect for difference.
The Action Plan remains the basis for policy on bullying and implementation of the 12 Actions is the Department's current priority.
In the context of this strategy and the need to prioritise work related to implementing the Action Plan on Bullying, I regret that it is not possible to provide funding for the BeatBullying proposal.
Yours sincerely
Gavan G. O'Leary
Principal Officer
Central Policy Unit