THE NEW Action Plan on Bullying has been welcomed by Government Chief Whip and Minister of State, Paul Kehoe, who believes that it will help to tackle the scourge of bullying in schools across Wexford.

The anti-bullying plan, which was launched last week by Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald, has been applauded by many around the country, and the Enniscorthy TD is no different.

€500,000 has been ring-fenced to support the implementation of the plan this year, which will include a campaign on cyber bullying and the development of national anti-bullying procedures for all schools.

Minister Kehoe said: “Bullying, whether is it online or in the school corridor, can have a very serious impact on children and young people. Your confidence and self-belief can be shattered as a result of taunts and harassment from your peers. This can have a lasting impact well into adulthood, and it is something that we should all be working together to address.
“Last year, the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn TD, and the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald TD, held an Anti-Bullying Forum, which invited submissions from interested parties and stakeholders. This has fed into the new Action Plan on Bullying, which includes 12 actions and a series of recommendations, has the potential to make a real difference in how we tackle this problem in our schools.”

The ASTI has also welcomed the initiative, but feels that it does not address the impact of cuts on student well-being services in schools.

[Full story in this week's Echo]