Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am proud to be a member of this Government, which is addressing the protection of children in a real and meaningful way, by introducing a suite of legislation, culminating in a referendum on the rights of children, to give the protection of the most innocent and vulnerable among us proper standing in Irish law. This has been a long time coming and I thank God it is here at last, as the vulnerability of children and vulnerable persons has for too long been exploited not alone in this jurisdiction, but in jurisdictions all over the world.

It is a signal of our maturity as a nation that we display an awareness of the permanent damage that can be inflicted on the individual, having the capacity to adversely affect their entire life and relationships, by one incident of abuse, either sexual or physical, and that we seek to address it. Research has proven that these abuses are largely inflicted by someone known to the victim such as a family member, sports instructor, teacher, priest or health care provider. These professions and many others are callings towards the good of society but we are all human and predators can be found among the best of people, as they seek out situations or opportunities to abuse. The status quo can no longer prevail for this reason and we must face our responsibilities as legislators and bring the Bill into law.

This Bill will expand on the existing vetting service operated by the Garda, giving it a statutory basis, making it compulsory for all employees or volunteers working with children or vulnerable persons to be vetted and, additionally, provide for the consideration of "soft" or "specified information" in the vetting process. It will also serve to introduce procedural clarity and certainty into the process. It goes beyond what is currently allowed, whereby only convictions are considered and it addresses the scenario where the competing rights of the individual and the public come into conflict.

This is an area where we have the moral support of every right thinking member of society. We have had the various reports, both religious and secular, and the people felt helpless. They witnessed the harrowing stories and were ashamed at what had been allowed to occur in their midst. They are all too aware that this great demon of abuse lives among us and I have no doubt this particular suite of legislation enjoys the goodwill and support of everyone who wants to fetter the access of these predators to their innocent victims. No group of people on this island has an inclination to cause this legislation to fail. If reservations exist, they lie on the side of ensuring the legislation comprehensibly achieves its objectives.

I caution against the omission of those in employment from the vetting process for this reason. Does any sector, profession or socio-economic group have a monopoly on abuse? Just as none of us has a monopoly on the common cold, none of us has a monopoly on abuse. Why, therefore, would we exclude the entire working population employed prior to the implementation of this legislation from the vetting process? Does the fact that predators are in the system exclude them from the evil of perpetrating abuse? We certainly do not have a system free from potential abusers nor does anybody working in the area involved believe that. It is my fervent belief that everyone who has contact with the target group being afforded protection should be vetted. This will create logistical problems but needs to be tackled. Those in employment in the system, above all others, will be happy to ensure every avenue is explored to ensure the protection of the vulnerable for whom they care for in a good and wholesome way. The legislation will be implemented. Let us use it to provide a safer living and educational environment for the most innocent among us. Let no group opt out of the system. Those whom we seek to protect deserve a full and comprehensive vetting service - no buts, no exceptions.

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