Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school on behalf of the school patron and has responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of its staff and pupils.
The board of management has responsibility for taking all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of school personnel and pupils and to put appropriate safeguards in place to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of its staff and of its students while they are attending the school or while participating in school activities.
Where there is a concern or potential threat to the safety of the public, the responsibility for dealing with such a situation rests primarily with An Garda Síochána in accordance with its duty to protect the community. An Garda Síochána play a vital role in communities across the country in helping to keep us all safe, including children attending schools.
All schools have been issued with a copy of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) resource: Responding to Critical Incidents, which is available on the Department’s website. This document provides comprehensive advice for schools in preparing for and dealing with a critical incident.
NEPs is also available, upon request from school authorities, to attend at a school to provide necessary direct assistance and advice to the school community.
Depending on the nature of an event, schools may respond independently of NEPS support. On other occasions they may initiate contact with NEPS to seek advice or confirmation as to how they should proceed in relation to a particular event or part of the process. The nature and extent of the incident, as well as a school’s capacity to respond will determine the degree of support required of NEPS.
Where a school considers the issue to be a child protection issue, then they should follow the Child Protection Procedures for Schools and report the concern to the Designated Liaison Person (DLP). The DLP is the person nominated by the board of management to act as the point of contact for Tusla (the Child and Family Agency), An Garda Síochána, and others in matters relating to child protection concerns or allegations.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the body which has statutory responsibility for ensuring that health and safety requirements are met by all organisations, including schools.
The Health and Safety Authority has published guidelines on managing safety, health and welfare in both primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines were developed following consultation with relevant stakeholders and offer guidance and practical advice to assist schools in planning, organising and managing a safe and healthy school environment for staff, pupils and visitors.
It is a matter for the Minister for Justice to consider the introduction of a national zero tolerance policy on weapons in public buildings generally, which would include schools.
The information requested by the deputy regarding the number of reported incidents involving students bringing weapons onto school premises over the past five years and the number of suspensions and expulsions arising from such incidents is not held by my department.
