Mr. Cormac Quinlan:

There is ongoing liaison and we have structured meetings with the Garda at a management level in each area in regard to the review of notifications between both services. I reassure members that happens on an ongoing basis. We have a responding to allegations of abuse policy and there are very set procedures laid down in that policy. We start by interviewing the person who is alleging that he or she has been abused and we go through a respectful, open process with the person to try to gather as much information as we can on the alleged abuse. Then the alleged perpetrator is afforded his fair procedures. We write to him outlining all the detail of the information that is alleged against him to provide him full opportunity to respond to those matters and we take into account any other information that either party might bring to our attention. At the end of that process, we determine a provisional conclusion and we share that with the alleged abuser and with the person who is allegedly being abused. There is another opportunity at that point to provide additional information to further consider that point until we reach a final conclusion. Individuals are also afforded the opportunity to appeal at the end of that. There is an independent appeal process. It is quite a robust procedure to ensure we protect children and we afford individuals fair procedures in that regard.