Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill, the purpose of which is to protect children and vulnerable adults. Vetting of people who work with children or vulnerable adults must be mandatory; not only do we need to ensure that protection is provided to both children and vulnerable adults but we also need to protect the staff and volunteers working in the area. We have all been shocked and dismayed at the various reports that have come out detailing the abuse that children have endured in the past. What shocked me most was how recently this abuse took place. I am glad the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs are doing everything possible to strengthen the law and minimise occasions where such abuse could happen in future.

We will see a number of Bills being brought to the House in this session in this regard, as well as a children's referendum Bill. The wording of the constitutional amendment was announced today. All of this is being done to improve the protection of children in this country. As comprehensive as the legislation is, it is nearly impossible to cover all incidents where abuse is likely. This is why, as people, we should examine society closely. We all have a responsibility to ensure these new laws are successfully enforced.

The new suite of legislation to protect children and vulnerable adults includes this Bill, the Children First Bill and a new criminal justice Bill. These are indicative of the Government's approach to looking after our people, which is the State's duty of care. Such action will also ensure that total clarity is brought to bear in the protection of children, and ignoring any provisions in these Bills will be a criminal offence. These new laws, and this very detailed legislation in particular, place a significant responsibility on volunteer organisations, community groups and statutory institutions.

The obligation on voluntary and community groups puts extra responsibility on people who already give generously of their time. Community activity and volunteering is of enormous benefit to our economy; it also benefits social inclusion, especially in rural communities, and community volunteers must not be undervalued. This is especially true in these times of high unemployment. From speaking to people in many of my community and voluntary organisations in Cork North-West, I know people are very supportive of this Bill. Community groups, more than anybody else, see the need for this type of legislation and will continue to work voluntarily to promote a particular group or sports organisation. They know the value of having staff or volunteers vetted by the bureau and how this serves to protect all involved parties.

There is a real onus on employers to comply with the new legislation. I know many of these feel there is much bureaucracy and regulation to adhere to, especially those which affect small employers with limited resources in difficult times. Everybody understands the need for this legislation and its importance, as it is not just a legal issue but also a moral one. Any organisation employing people working with children or vulnerable adults must comply with the legislation, and that provision applies no matter what type of contract the employee has. It also applies to contracts for service.

An employer must register as a relevant organisation under this Bill and employers have an obligation to vet applications or employees doing relevant work or activities relating to children or vulnerable adults. They will also have an obligation to ensure that a person previously vetted for a current position can be vetted again and employees who have not gone through the vetting process must be vetted retrospectively. There will be severe penalties, including a prison term, for non-compliance, so employers must make themselves aware of their duties under this legislation.

It should be clear to everybody that this Government is totally committed to ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable adults is protected to the fullest extent possible. This Bill will go a long way to ensuring that people who work with children and vulnerable adults are properly screened, which must be good. We must all be vigilant in ensuring that children and vulnerable adults are properly protected, and for that reason I commend the Bill to the House.

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