Aviva Stadium, Thursday 1st December 2022

The launch of Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying takes place on Thursday 1 December in the Aviva Stadium from 10am – 12pm.

Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD will participate in a panel discussion with children and young people

Youth Advisory Committee: background to consultations with children and young people

The Department of Education wanted to consult with children and young people to get their views on the anti-bullying action plan 2013 and how to improve it.

The Department of Education wanted to hear from children and young people to get their views on Anti-Bullying Procedures for schools. Taking their views on board, the anti-bullying procedures have been updated with user friendly sections for parents, students, and school staff. The review of the procedures considered how best to ensure meaningful student input into a school’s anti-bullying procedures.

Fundamental to the review of the action plan on bullying and to the review of the anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools was consultation and involving children and young people in the decision making throughout the process. To achieve this, a youth advisory group (YAG) was formed to do the following:

  • Pilot the workshop methodology for the main consultation in May. Testing, reviewing and tweaking the questions to ensure they would achieve the desired outcome set out in the purpose of the consultation.
  • Participate in the main consultations to lead the ice-breakers and co-facilitate the workshop.
  • Two YAG members MC’d the consultation day in May
  • Work in advisory capacity to Dept of Education: to review action plan and the draft report of the event. YAG have remained involved in an advisory role with the Department of Education right up until the launch