The Department of Education and Youth
The Department of Education and Youth is the Government Department with responsibility for the anti-bullying strategy, Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying, including the accompanying implementation procedures entitled, Bí Cineálta, to prevent and address bullying behaviour in primary and post-primary schools. Furthermore, they have also issued revised Child Protection Procedures.
The Department supports a number of anti-bullying initiatives including a National Anti-Bullying Website entitled “Tackle Bullying” and a number of activities championed by DCU Anti-Bullying Centre.
More information on the Department’s work on tackling bullying and cyberbullying can be found here.
Rethink Ireland
In February 2019, Rethink Ireland announced the awardees of their Children and Youth Funds at a special awards ceremony. The FUSE Primary Programme is one of three DCU projects included amongst the 14 awardees of the €9.5 million fund, which is made up of 50% private philanthropic funding, self-raised by 14 Awardees. The other half of the fund is supported by the Government of Ireland, through the Dormant Accounts Fund.
The 2019 Children and Youth Funds, which include the Children and Youth Education Fund and the Children and Youth Mental Health Fund, were designed to support projects addressing the most prevalent issues facing young people and children in Ireland today.
The FUSE Primary Programme is an Anti-bullying and Online Safety Programme for primary school students developed by DCU Anti-Bullying Centre. It is an extension of our current programme with post-primary schools and the funding will enable ABC to expand its reach in schools across Ireland, educating teachers, students and parents on bullying behaviour and how to tackle online safety issues.
This programme, together with the other 13 awardees, will each receive a multi-year grant and will also be awarded a place on Rethink Irelands’ ‘Game-Changer’ Programme.
The award is a significant endorsement of the work undertaken by FUSE to date, and highlights its potential to be replicated across Ireland with a view to creating real change in the communities we engage with.
