Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion

9:30 am

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is true that I too am shocked by the figures. As I said, I find it deeply distressing. I am also aware of the fact that some of the alleged victims could be listening to what we are discussing right now. I am deeply upset about that as I cannot imagine what they must be going through. I hope that the actions that my Department and I are taking and the actions of my colleagues are in the best interest of the organisation. We are doing everything we can to ensure ultimately there will be opportunities for them to go through a different process of healing. I hope for some of them that healing has already taken place but we are so aware of the fact that an integral aspect of that process is an acknowledgement.

As I said I have information of alleged victims. It is important that we are able to have this knowledge now and that the knowledge is interrogated and investigated. As I have said already, I too will be listening carefully to what the evidence provides and we will continue that conversation with the organisation to follow it up.

It is important to say in this context of people wondering whether children are safe in Scouting Ireland that I have been assured by the former interim chairperson, Ms Annette Byrne and also Mr. Ian Elliott, who is the child safeguarding expert, that the vast majority of volunteers involved in Scouting Ireland do an excellent job.

I assure Deputies, Senators and parents that all the actions I have taken were a response to bad governance and were in no way connected to the fantastic work being carried out by scout groups, leaders and volunteers throughout the country. I have been assured they are committed to and compliant with the highest possible level of safeguarding standards.

The Chairman and Senator Freeman asked if funding was the only measure. I have outlined the other actions and measures we are taking to ensure the organisation is supported to move beyond this period. We have a new board as a result of the report of the independent reviewer who made recommendations which the organisation followed. The board is in place to take the next steps needed to ensure the safety and proper responses to information coming forward now about the organisation.

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