Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's response. We are hearing of this almost as it has happened. However, I have a concern about the Minister's reply. Notwithstanding her openness and transparency, I asked specifically that in historical cases the helpline be operated by an independent organisation acting outside Scouting Ireland. That is important. The Minister did say that consideration should be given to ensure that the personnel manning the helpline are independent of Scouting Ireland. There is a mechanism to bring in an organisation such as One in Four. There is a lack of confidence in Scouting Ireland's ability to deal with its own affairs.

I am concerned by the Minister's statement that consideration should be given to nominating the CEO of Scouting Ireland to be the principal liaison to work on Children First. We need to examine the dynamics that exist within Scouting Ireland regarding its governance. Notwithstanding the Minister's robust reply, the Government needs to take this completely out of Scouting Ireland's hands for it to be dealt with wholly independently if there is to be confidence among the parents whose children are part of scout troops throughout the country. A great shadow is being cast across Scouting Ireland as a result of these revelations. Speaking as a parent myself, I am very concerned about Scouting Ireland as constituted, notwithstanding the issues around governance and child protection that it is going through. Scouting Ireland does not command the support of those its seeks to represent and the Government needs to intervene further to remove it from their hands entirely to deal with these issues.

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