Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
305. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department monitors school compliance with the Bí Cineálta procedures; the recourse if any a parent or guardian has in circumstances where they feel a given school is not complying with Bí Cineálta procedures with respect to allegations of bullying; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46938/26]
View answerCineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was published on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is my department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools.
Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying behaviour including cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. It is centred on a child rights-based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour in our schools.
One of the more significant actions under Cineáltas is to update the 2013 Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. This action has been completed with the publication, on 19 June 2024, of Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. These updated procedures were developed in collaboration with the education partners, including the National Parents Council, and are heavily informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, Board of Management members and the wider education community.
The Bí Cineálta procedures are centred on a child rights-based approach and support a partnership approach where all members of the school community work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour. The procedures have been updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. They support schools to develop clear strategies to prevent and address these bullying behaviours.
The Bí Cineálta procedures are being implemented in all schools since the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year.
As part of the new Bí Cineálta procedures, school principals must provide a report to the school’s Board of Management each month in relation to bullying incidences. Therefore, it is expected that any serious incidents will be dealt with quickly.
Under the Education Act 1998, all recognised schools are managed by their Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. In the case of Education and Training Board (ETB) schools, the ETB is the employer and has responsibility for the management of the school. The school principal is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school.
While the department provides funding and policy direction for schools, it does not have the power to direct schools to follow a particular course of action in relation to individual complaint cases. The department’s role is to provide clarity to parents and students on how grievances and complaints may be progressed.
Where it is felt that there is cause for complaint, matters would normally be addressed to the individual teacher or school Principal as appropriate. If matters cannot be resolved at that level then a complaint can be addressed to the school’s Board of Management. Where a school has a formal complaints procedure in place this should be followed in pursuing any complaint.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised by the Department of Education and Youth, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions or non-actions of a school has, or may have, adversely affected the child.
My department’s Inspectorate is responsible for monitoring schools’ compliance with the Bí Cineálta procedures.
In the event a parent notifies my department of a school not dealing with an incident of bullying behaviour, the information is shared with the Inspectorate.
Inspections are planned and scheduled through a risk-based process that takes account of inspection cycles, geographical factors, school type, and other relevant information available to my department.
The Inspectorate conducts checks in schools related to various aspects of the schools' anti-bullying procedures; however, the Inspectorate does not have a role in investigating or adjudicating on individual cases.
These checks take place at two levels of inspection:
Level One Inspections
During inspections such as incidental inspections, subject inspections, and programme evaluations, the Inspectorate ensures that:
• The school has an anti-bullying policy that aligns with Bí Cineálta and is reviewed annually.
• The policy is published on the school's website or is easily accessible to key stakeholders, including the board of management, teachers, parents, and students.
Level Two Inspections
These inspections are more in-depth and whole-school in nature, including Whole-School Evaluations (WSE), Evaluation of Action Planning for Improvement in DEIS Schools, and evaluations of schools in Special Care Units and Detention Centres. At this level, the Inspectorate ensures:
• Compliance with the policy requirements outlined in Level One.
• The presence of initiatives to promote a positive and inclusive school culture.
• Teachers’ awareness of the policy - teachers visited during inspections must confirm that they have read the policy and understand their roles in preventing and addressing bullying.
The Inspectorate also carry out bespoke Promotion of Wellbeing in Schools Evaluations. During a Promotion of Wellbeing in Schools Evaluation, the inspectors evaluate and report under the following areas of enquiry:
• The quality of the school’s work to prevent and address bullying behaviour.
• The quality of the school’s work to develop and embed a culture that promotes wellbeing.
• The quality of the school’s work to implement a curriculum that promotes wellbeing.
• The quality of the school’s work to develop policies and plans that promote wellbeing.
• The quality of the school’s work to promote wellbeing through relationships and partnerships.
