Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 November 2010

3:00 pm

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The recommendations were only recently received, a couple of weeks ago. I propose to wait until the audit is completed into these neglect cases in Roscommon, Waterford and Dublin to see what comes out of them. Those areas are targeted because of specific previous concerns that have been raised in those areas. Based on that report, we will have sufficient information then to aggregate what has come out of Roscommon and previous cases to which Deputy Kathleen Lynch referred in her question.

I am open to suggestions on how that implementation and review will take shape. We might include the NGO sector and others with a professional interest in child protection in ensuring the implementation of the recommendations and all of the previous recommendations.

On a child sexual abuse unit, there is, of course, St. Clare's and St. Louise's units, in Temple Street and Crumlin, respectively, which provide an excellent service. It is not only children who are being abused, but children who have abused as well. There are discrete services there for the latter but it is a challenging area of the health and social services.

In terms of learning, it is depressingly familiar to hear responses that follow tragedies such as this. Yesterday, I launched the first ever hub of learning in the world for professionals which contains all the research, policy and legislation in this area accumulated over the years. That is now accessible by social workers.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.