Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At the outset I want to say that the report and the findings contained within it are deeply shocking. It is disturbing to think that there are any individual examples of that kind of behaviour and practice happening in Ireland now or in the past. I assure Deputy Bacik, the House and the general public that this will be treated with the utmost seriousness, which it deserves.

We welcome the fact that this scoping study on the sexual exploitation of children and young people in Ireland has been conducted by UCD. The Department of Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is working closely with Tusla's senior management on the subject of child sexual exploitation and is now going to prioritise a review of the findings of this scoping study and its recommendations in the immediate period ahead. This is as one would expect and is right and proper. The study is a very important piece of research into the sexual exploitation of children by potential organised groups of predatory men in our society. Close liaison into the study's findings will also take place between Tusla and An Garda Síochána. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will also work with the Department of Justice to review the findings and recommendations of this report.

I acknowledge that the scoping study outlines that the interview part of the research took place three years ago. I should point out that in the interim period, a number of important developments have taken place in this area as a key priority to assist with the reporting of child sexual exploitation. I have got a whole list of measures laid out here by the Department of steps that have been taken since then, but I do not think it is the day to be going into those. I acknowledge that the contents of the scoping study are shocking.

On the question of funding, I think it would be readily acknowledged by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and Tusla that in recent years we have seen a step change in its funding in the budgets that I negotiated with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, as is right and proper. The truth is that the needs are growing and society is becoming more diverse and more complex. We have more minors and children coming into Ireland. As Deputy Bacik is aware through her work, it is the case that all unaccompanied minors who arrive in Ireland are referred by Department of Justice officials to Tusla's team for separated children seeking international protection. One of the first and most important duties of any state is to protect our children. We will certainly work with Deputy Bacik, everyone in the House and with all of the key stakeholders to make sure that the content of this study is very carefully examined and is responded to in the most forceful way we possibly can.

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