Department of Education and Youth’s Cineáltas Showcase recognises anti-bullying initiatives on Anti-Bullying Week
- Published on: 12 November 2025
- Last updated on: 12 November 2025
Minister for Education Helen McEntee and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan have congratulated primary, post-primary and special schools taking part in the Department of Education and Youth’s second annual Cineáltas Showcase at Croke Park today.
The event celebrates and showcases the good work that schools across the country are doing to prevent and address bullying behaviour and to promote inclusion, diversity and wellbeing.
This year’s showcase has the theme of ‘Belonging’ – reflecting the theme for Anti-Bullying Week, which began on Monday 10 November and runs through to Friday 14.
Among those exhibiting their efforts to prevent and address bullying behaviour are:
- A group of young students from St Ultan’s National School, Co Meath who promote a sense of belonging through initiatives such as The Gratitude Tree, 'Though We Are Different We all Swim Together’, visually capturing the essence of belonging.
- Students from Kilberry National School, Co Kildare who are highlighting initiatives that help create a positive, inclusive, and welcoming environment for students and their families. These include Kindness and Wellbeing Week, Class Kindness Ambassadors, and ‘Caught Being Kind’ certificates.
- Students from CBS Roscommon who are displaying their centrepiece board designed to promote Bí Cineálta and their core values. They have also added a QR code featured in all student journals that links to a reporting tool for bullying behaviour and promote their student-friendly Bí Cineálta policy.
Minister for Education Helen McEntee said:
“What matters most to me is that every child and young person feels safe, happy, and supported during their time in school. However, for those who experience bullying, we know it can severely impact their self-esteem and sense of self-worth, often leaving lasting effects.
“Today’s event is all about celebrating the creative ways our school communities are preventing and addressing bullying behaviour. The ideas and energy on display are a great reminder of the amazing work happening in schools all over the country.”
Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan said:
“It is a genuine privilege to be here today, engaging with the children, young people and school communities who are at the heart of Cineáltas. It’s so important that collectively we work together in our schools and across our wider communities to address bullying that may arise in our schools.
“It’s not something any child or young person should be experiencing. While each school community is unique, all are making thoughtful and meaningful efforts to ensure their environments are inclusive, supportive and welcoming to everyone.”
The Cineáltas showcase event is part of the implementation of Cineáltas, the Department of Education and Youth’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools.
In addition to having the opportunity to showcase their initiatives, attendees at the Cineáltas Showcase will hear from Department of Education and Youth Secretary General Bernie McNally and a number of students who will take part in a panel discussion.
Notes to Editors
Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying
Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying is the Department of Education and Youth’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools. It is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools.
Cineáltas is centred on a child rights-based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour in our schools.
The implementation plan for Cineáltas, published in April 2023, committed to implementing each of the 61 actions contained in Cineáltas within a five-year period. Significant progress has been made in implementing the actions. Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying and its implementation plan can be found here.
The first implementation report for Cineáltas was published in July 2025 and can be found at the following link: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Cine%C3%A1ltas_Implementation_Report_for_2023.pdf
The Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying Implementation Report for 2024 is due to be published shortly.
The Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools were published in 2024 and are now being implemented by all schools. The procedures can be found here.
Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying commits the Department’s Inspectorate to publishing an annual report based on feedback from children, young people, school staff and parents.
The 2023 report Perspectives on Bullying Behaviour summarises insights from students, parents, teachers, and principals on the effectiveness of anti-bullying strategies in Irish schools and is available here. The report for 2024 is due to be published shortly as part of the Inspectorate’s Annual Report.