Foley to bring strategy to Cabinet on school bullying

The minister for education recently asked her department to review the action plan on bullying and the anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools 2013.

Education Minister Norma Foley is to bring a memo to Cabinet today on an overhaul of the strategy for dealing with bullying in schools.

Ms Foley recently asked her department to review the action plan on bullying and the anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools 2013.

The review is to reflect the significant developments and relevant research since 2013, specifically in the areas of cyberbullying and gender identity bullying.

Detailed considerations are to be given to recommendations contained in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education Report on School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health published in August 2021.

A steering group will be established immediately to lead the review and school inspectors in the first term of the current school year will be charged with obtaining evidence of the type of bullying that is happening and identifying successful approaches.

Also at Cabinet today, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will bring the general scheme of a new bill to ensure transparency around tips in the hospitality industry.

The Tánaiste's new legislation would see restaurants and other outlets clearly tell customers how both card and cash tips, gratuities and service charges are distributed among staff.

Mr Varadkar, who is also employment minister, said previously the aim of the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill is to bring clarity to both staff and customers on just where the money paid goes.

The new law will strengthen the rights of employees, prohibiting the use of tips and gratuities — but not service charges — to make up contractual rates of pay.

Trade union Unite, which represents workers in the hospitality sector, met with Mr Varadkar to discuss the union’s concerns around the proposed tips legislation.

Unite described the hour-long meeting as constructive. It stressed to the Tánaiste and his officials that "Government now had an opportunity to ring-fence tips for the benefit of workers". 

It said robust legislation would increase public confidence in the sector as it prepares to emerge from the pandemic.

As well as meeting today, Cabinet will meet again on Friday to discuss the latest Nphet recommendations.