Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

The Minister has said this is a key concern for the Government. However, it has not taken any action to show that. She stated that a working group is examining this issue, but last year another working group reported on the same issue. Is this working group in addition to the last one?

I accept that the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Brian Lenihan, announced almost a year ago that he would double the staff of the central vetting unit, but they have still not come on stream. I am sure the Minister is aware that a convicted sex offender operated as a school bus driver in County Laois this year. What checks has her Department and she carried out to ensure that the same thing is not happening elsewhere? That is the most important point.

When does the Minister intend to make the necessary legislative changes to ensure that we establish a register of persons considered unsafe to work with children? They are still listed in section C of the legislative programme. I accept the Minister's point, which I also made in the House when Fine Gael debated this issue two years ago this December. We were told that progress was being made. We are very close to the second anniversary of that debate, which sadly coincided with the case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in England. Unfortunately, the Minister has yet to take this issue seriously and ensure that something of that sort could not happen here. I ask her to outline to the House when she intends to prioritise those issues.

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