Policy information
Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools
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The Bí Cineálta procedures to prevent and address bullying behaviour for primary and post-primary schools were published on 19 June 2024. These procedures replace the 2013 anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools and the requirements of these procedures come into effect from 1 September 2025.
These procedures have resulted from a review of the 2013 anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools and the implementation of Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying which was published in December 2022.
These Bí Cineálta procedures were developed in collaboration with the education partners and are heavily informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff , board of management members and the wider education community. Bí Cineálta means “Be Kind”. Showing Kindness and being kind to each other underpins these procedures and our approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour.
A working group was established in 2022 to review the 2013 anti-bullying procedures for primary and post-primary schools. Terms of reference and membership of this working group can be found by accessing the following link:
The revised procedures provide direction and guidance to schools, in relation to measures to prevent and address bullying behaviour in schools.
The Bí Cineálta procedures are centred on a child-rights-based approach and support a partnership approach where all members of the school community work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour. The procedures have been updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. They support schools to develop clear strategies to prevent and address these bullying behaviours.
The revised procedures come into effect from the start of the 2025/2026 school year.
Circular 0055/2024 provides details of the changes and the professional learning supports that will be provided, to support the engagement, collaboration and professional learning of school leaders and school staff, as they implement these procedures.
Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post Primary Schools
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Appendix A - School Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour
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Appendix D Guide to Providing Bullying Behaviour Update
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Appendix F Notification regarding the board of management’s annual review of the school’s Bí Cineálta Policy
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Appendix G Overview of the Bí Cineálta Procedures for Preventing and Addressing Bullying Behaviour
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Resources to support implementation of a school’s Bí Cineálta Policy to prevent and address bullying behaviour is available here :
The department delivered a number of online information seminars for school leaders on Cineáltas Acton Plan on Bullying and the Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post Primary Schools, as well as the Promotion of Wellbeing Inspection model during October 2024.
A recording of one of these seminars is available here:
The slides used at the seminar are available here:
Additional guidance to support the implementation of the Bí Cineálta
In-person professional learning is being provided by Oide, beginning directly after the mid-term break in term 1 of the current 2024/2025 school year. Two members of staff may attend, and Oide will contact each school directly with an invitation for a school leader and another staff member to attend.
Substitution is permitted to allow teaching principals and teachers attend the Oide TPL. In large and medium sized schools, the school leader and teacher from the school who plan to attend the event will both need to be registered and book onto the same event. In small schools, it may not be feasible for both teachers to attend on the same day, and the school leader and teacher may attend a different event.
Oide has planned to deliver thirteen of these Bí Cineálta TPL events through Gaeilge.
Oide can be contacted via email at info@oide.ie
All recognised primary schools, special school, post primary schools and centres for education, may avail of a half-day school closure during the 2024/2025 school year to facilitate engagement of all school staff with the Bí Cineálta procedures. This half-day closure is in addition to other school closures sanctioned by the department.
Schools can choose the date of the half-day closure at their discretion, however, notice of the date should be provided to their school community in advance. It is important that consideration is given by schools to minimise disruption for the school community when scheduling the half-day closure.
Schools have full discretion on how to structure the half-day engagement with all school staff, which includes SNAs secretaires and other non-teaching staff and what resources are used, as schools are best placed to determine how they should work together with their school community to develop their Bí Cineálta policy.
It is important that all school staff participate in this engagement as all school staff have a responsibility to prevent and address bullying behaviour that occurs in our schools.
Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying has been developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with a diverse and dedicated Steering Committee led by Dr Noel Purdy of Stranmillis University College in Belfast. Cineáltas has been informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, education partners and individual members of the public and succeeds in placing the students at the very heart of the plan.
Cineáltas builds on the achievements and ambition of the previous Action Plan on Bullying published in 2013, taking into account the work undertaken in recent years to ensure that our schools are safe and happy places for all our children and young people.
A copy of the Action Plan is available here on www.gov.ie/actionplanonbullying