Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his submission. The Minster, Deputy O’Gorman, given his responsibility for children, is committed to upholding their best interests in all situations. Ireland, like many other countries, has recognised the child’s right to protection from sexual exploitation by ratifying a number of legal instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention. Tusla completes a notification of any suspected child sexual exploitation to An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána leads the investigation into each such notification of child sexual exploitation. Tusla liaises closely with An Garda Síochána and has an assigned principal social worker based with Garda national protective services. Joint close analysis and assessment is made by both Tusla and An Garda Síochána of each notification of child sexual abuse particularly of children in State care.

The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman welcomes the scoping study on the sexual exploitation of children and young people in Ireland conducted by UCD and is concerned about the findings outlined within. I am aware that his Department is working closely with Tusla senior management on the subject of child sexual exploitation and will prioritise a review of the findings of this scoping study and its recommendations in the immediate period ahead. The study is an important piece of research into the sexual exploitation of children by potentially organised groups of predatory men in our society and close liaison into the study’s findings will also take place by Tusla with An Garda Síochána. The Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth will also work with the Department of Justice to review the findings and recommendations of this report.

A number of key developments have taken place in this area in recent years to assist with the reporting of child sexual exploitation. These developments include the following. Tusla implemented its child exploitation procedure in 2021, in partnership with An Garda Síochána, which provides Tusla staff and carers with information on how to recognise indicators of child sexual exploitation, how to make appropriate referrals and how to respond to cases where children may be at risk of sexual exploitation. The joint working protocol between Tusla and An Garda Síochána forms a critical part of the responses to child abuse and neglect, particularly in relation to child sexual exploitation. Tusla has established an anti-trafficking working group in readiness for the Department of Justice national action plan to prevent and combat trafficking of human beings, which includes the area of child sexual exploitation.

Recently, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla jointly established a working group which looks at institutional and organisational abuse. This includes reviewing criteria for a definition of such abuse and also reviewing further supports and guidance for staff around any potential indicators of child sexual exploitation of children in State care. In addition, Tusla is taking a range of initiatives jointly with the HSE on information, research and guidance on how to identify child sexual exploitation. Children First Information advisory officers are developing a range of new procedures regarding online safety. These are expected to be introduced in the coming months. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is also leading an interdepartmental group on the national implementation of Barnahus, which is a multi-agency approach to the provision of intervention and services to children subject to child sexual abuse. A pilot has been operational in Barnahus, west Galway, for the past number of years, with additional centres planned to be established in the east and south of the country. I urge anyone who has a concern in respect of child sexual exploitation to report the matter either to Tusla or An Garda Síochána.

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