Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

——to draw up guidelines for persons involved in video recording interviews with a complainant regarding a sexual or violent offence during an interview with a garda or other person competent for the purpose subsequently forwarded good practice guidelines to my office with related recommendations.

It was my view that we needed the professional opinion and guidance of the experts in this field. It is crucially important that the video recording of any evidence given by a child who has suffered the horrors of a sexual crime does not subject that child to further avoidable stress. The Health Service Executive was, therefore, asked and agreed to come up with a protocol for the oversight of video interviewing by the Garda and social workers for the development of a joint national training programme for the staff who would be involved in interviewing and for the identification of suitable places and settings where interviews of this type might be conducted.

The HSE confirmed to the Department of Health and Children and my Department earlier that it will finalise its work on this matter before the end of the month. There will be no delay whatsoever on the part of my Department or the Department of Health and Children or any of their associated agencies in rolling out the video evidence approach to support future victims or suspected victims of child sexual abuse.

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