Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
465. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 521 of 20 March 2024, if the reason boards of management cannot act on cases of confirmed assault are to do with GDPR (details supplied); if she will specifically address these issues in new guidelines to schools Cinnealtas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14362/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you are aware, I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is the Department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools.
Work is well underway to implement the 61 actions included in the Cineáltas Implementation Plan which was published in April last year.
A key action in the plan is to review and update the anti-bullying procedures for schools which were published in 2013. The procedures are being updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. The procedures will focus on prevention strategies for schools and on supporting schools to address bullying behaviour.
The procedures will reference the current legal basis within which schools function today, taking account of new legislation such as Coco’s Law. The procedures will include updated guidance for schools on where bullying behaviour escalates to criminal behaviour and on when bullying behaviour becomes a child protection concern.
Schools will be required to develop their anti-bullying policy in consultation with the entire school community, which includes school staff, students, parents and the school’s board of management. Schools will be required to regularly review their records of bullying behaviour to discern emerging trends, identify key learning and to consider what measures could be taken to prevent re-occurrence.
It is intended that the Bí Cineálta procedures will be published in the coming months.
As I explained in my response to your Parliamentary Question No. 521, the revised Code of Behaviour guidelines will include updated information for schools relating to behaviour matters which include the involvement of an Garda Síochána. It is expected that these new guidelines will be published by TESS in the coming months.
In relation to your query regarding the reason the outcomes of juvenile justice enquiries cannot be shared with schools’ boards of management, this is a matter for the Court Service and An Garda Síochána.
