Tom Clonan (Independent)
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With such little time and so much to ask, I do not know where to start. Following up on what Senator Ruane said, a paragraph in the report states, “The information did not at that time suggest evidence of systemic abuse across the organisation.”

That was in 2019. The values and norms of behaviour in that organisation suggest that the risk factors were systemic. With my understanding of how abuse takes place in organisations, for example, in the many thousands of organisations throughout the State, some of which are funded and others which are not, there is a kind of social contract in play with each of those, such as a neighbour who provides an art and craft class while perhaps a mum, a dad or a carer is sitting in the room. That is an entirely different proposition from the organisation which I am forbidden to mention here. To me, however, at my distance from it, of course the evidence was there that the risk was systemic because of the power differences between staff and young volunteers.

In regard to triaging all the organisations that are registered with their safety statements and safeguarding statements, does Tusla proactively identify and publish or engage in public affairs? Does Tusla engage in media relations and primary definition, and warn in the public domain that there are organisations that match the risk factors and that those risk factors are systemic? Is that something Tusla does? That is the first question. If not, why not.

Second, Senator Ruane asked a question in regard to Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Defence Forces, without reaching the threshold of criminal convictions or the proof that is required in a criminal prosecution, just by a simple iterative process we know that it is not a safe place for women. In fact the judge-led independent review group said that it is not a safe place for men either. We know that. Is St John Ambulance, as we speak, a safe place for children?