Dáil debates

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

10:30 am

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No. There have been two interim reports on the work of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, which was established in November 2007 and is chaired by Deputy Mary O'Rourke. The first interim report, which recommended the Government establish a statutory scheme for Garda vetting for the regulation of the collation, exchange and deployment of hard and soft information for the purpose of child protection and to require that all persons working with children are subject to vetting, was published on 1 September 2008. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is working in conjunction with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on the preparation of legislation which will provide for the establishment of a national vetting bureau for the collection and exchange of information, both hard and soft, relating to the endangerment, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse or risk thereof to children. The legislation will provide a statutory basis for the vetting of persons to identify those who are unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.

The second interim report, on absolute or strict liability in respect of sexual offences against or in connection with children, was published on 7 May 2009. It contains 39 recommendations, including some which are a restatement of the recommendations of the 2006 report of the joint committee on child protection in respect of criminal justice procedures. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs, obtained Government approval on 8 December 2009 to prepare the general scheme of a Bill implementing the recommendations, including the recommendations of the majority of members where there was no unanimity. The Bill will deal with the issues of absolute and strict liability that arose in the context of the Supreme Court judgment in the CC case. The third and final report of the joint committee will deal with the rights of children and family law aspects of the amendment. I understand this is due to be launched on 16 February next.

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