New anti-bullying measures for schools

New anti-bullying measures and modules are set to be rolled out in schools nationwide this month.

The confirmation comes as the family and friends of the late Eden Heaslip celebrated what would have been his 21st birthday last weekend, and just ahead of the third anniversary of his tragic death.

‘Be Buddies Not Bullies’ - the anti-bullying campaign set up by the family and friends following Eden’s death by suicide in September 2021 - continues in his memory.

Cineáltas (the Irish for kindness) is Ireland’s new action plan on bullying. The Heaslip family and ‘Be Buddies Not Bullies’ campaigners are proud to have played a role in its development and are delighted to see it implemented.

Eden's sister, Chloe, and other bereaved family members met with Minister Mary Butler last year on the issues.

Currently, the family is endeavouring to get ‘Be Buddies, Not Bullies’ also registered as a charity.

“Cineáltas is coming in step by step and that is great to see, and at the moment we are trying to get the campaign registered,” Chloe told the Celt this week.

“We have met with Minister Butler, the Taoiseach, Minister Norma Foley and the HSE to get this over the line. We want to make sure there is support there for people who are being bullied whether they are 10, 20 or 80 years old.”

The Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying in schools.

The Government has committed to implementing each of the 61 actions contained in Cineáltas within a five-year period and set out how the actions will be implemented.

One notable addition is a resource aimed at assisting first-year students in their transition from primary to post-primary education, covering critical topics such as navigating new environments, technologies, and relationships.

The Cineáltas plan also includes updating anti-bullying procedures and developing a national database for anonymous data collection on bullying, which will support ongoing research and the improvement of anti-bullying programmes.

Tractor run

In relation to Eden’s milestone birthday last weekend, Chloe said the Heaslip family wanted to do something special.

The Rainbow Tractor Club in Virginia hosted a special run to mark the occasion and all proceeds raised will go to HUGG, a charity that supports and helps people bereaved by suicide.

“We also wanted to give something back to a charity that has helped us as a family,” she continued, before adding that she attends HUGG herself as do other family members.

“There were over 120 tractors and it really was a fabulous day. There was a raffle afterwards and Eden’s car was there too. It was great to see people coming together for the event.”

On Friday, the Heaslip family will mark Eden’s third anniversary. “There has been a lot going on for us as a family in that time,” says Chloe.

“We also recognise the need that is there for the campaign. You don’t just get over what has happened to us. September is a very tough month for all of us because it’s Eden’s birthday and his anniversary. You have good days and bad days; some days you don’t want to get out of bed but you do keep going and take breaks when you need to. It’s the community support that helps us get through.”