Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland

Mr. Ian Elliott:

I said in response to a number of aspects of that letter that I am really shocked by it but that I also need help in trying to understand it. It is one of the areas on which I need help in trying to understand. We had a meeting with Tusla on Thursday of last week and one of the questions I raised was what was the basis for saying that if one applies the same approach to the other helplines that were provided. Essentially, it is difficult for me to answer that question because I do not understand why it said so.

To the best of my knowledge, it is based on a belief that if one is a member of an organisation and someone telephones that organisation to make a complaint, the organisation is compromised in receiving that complaint. I do not fully accept that and I am surprised by it. First, the helpline for Scouting Ireland did not exist in isolation. People who chose to telephone it did so because they knew that they would be talking to someone from Scouting Ireland. They could have spoken to the Garda or to Tusla. People were making a definitive choice. If it was the only helpline that existed, then that would be a different matter.

I supervised and scrutinised the practice of the individuals who were involved in manning that helpline. I stand over that. I do not believe any of them were compromised in terms of their responses. In fact, I feel gratified and appreciative of what they did and how they did it. It was outstanding.