Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will address the One in Four report to which a couple of Deputies have referred. There is a key aspect that was most controversial. It is that the report makes it clear that Tusla could not proceed with 79 of 91 cases brought because the victim declined to meet a Tusla social worker. That is implicit in some of the Deputy's comments. Legally and in keeping with fair procedures, Tusla social workers are obliged to meet directly with a victim to validate a statement and they must then provide the alleged abuser with the allegation and the identity of the victim and invite the alleged abuser to meet them. One in Four reported that 12 of its clients had made a statement to a Tusla social worker. As the Deputy states, I acknowledge that this is not easy to do. In three of the cases Tusla was assessing whether the alleged abuser posed a current risk to children. One case was founded, while five were unfounded. The remaining three were closed without an assessment of risk. This can occur where a person cannot be located or has died. This provides a view of the very complicated process that is followed when a referral takes place and the focus of Tusla in the assessment of the current risk to children.

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