Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Minister is meeting representatives of Tusla next week. Contrary to what the Minister stated, it is my understanding that there is no policy or strategy from Tusla on how to deal with adult disclosure cases or so-called section 3 referrals. While, as the Minister mentioned, a September 2014 draft policy exists, this policy is not published and it is my belief it is legally inaccurate.

Specifically, at section 14.4, where it proposes that adult survivors should be informed that they may be liable to prosecution where they do not engage with an investigation, the current guidelines on dealing with adult disclosure cases by social workers' offices are not fit for purpose. The guidelines do not take cognisance of the effects of abuse on adults coming forward to disclose. HIQA's assessment of the north Lee and south-west services in 2015 stated that the system in place to manage concerns of a retrospective nature needed significant improvement while a recent HIQA assessment of Dublin south-east and Wicklow found a high number of retrospective referrals remained unassessed with potential risk to children not yet determined.

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