Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his query, and I am glad we are joined by survivors in the Gallery tonight.

The board of St. John Ambulance Ireland commissioned an independent review and appointed Judge Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, with the assistance of Ms Hilary Coveney and Dr. Cian Ó Conchubhair, to carry out the review into the handling of complaints of historical sexual abuse of members under 18 years of age. As the Deputy knows, the review was commissioned at my urging to the board of St. John Ambulance Ireland.

St. John Ambulance Ireland published the report into the handling of past complaints of abuse in the organisation on 16 March of this year. A number of recommendations were made by Dr. Shannon regarding improving overall child protection and safeguarding practices in the organisation, including the recruiting of a new, full-time national safeguarding lead. St. John Ambulance Ireland also published a response document on 16 March 2023. The response document outlined the St. John Ambulance Ireland action plan in respect of implementing each of Dr. Shannon’s recommendations. A quarterly update to this response plan was also published by St. John Ambulance Ireland in July of this year.

Officials from my Department have engaged with St. John Ambulance Ireland around assurances regarding current child protection and vetting practices in the organisation. Department officials have engaged with Tusla and the commissioners of St. John Ambulance Ireland to ensure that appropriate supports were in place for survivors of abuse on the publication of the report, including counselling supports to survivors and a helpline operated by Tusla. They have also engaged with St. John Ambulance Ireland and Tusla to ensure that all appropriate actions were taken in response to the findings of the review report, with a particular emphasis on seeking assurances that there is no unvetted member working with minors or cadets within the organisation.

St. John Ambulance Ireland has advised the Department of the following for survivors accessing counselling. Any survivor can select their own counsellor from the list of approved counselling providers employed by St. John Ambulance Ireland, and it is the counsellor who then engages with St. John Ambulance Ireland to set up the payment arrangements.

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St. John Ambulance Ireland advised that the counselling support for survivors of abuse was deliberately designed in this manner so no survivor would have to engage directly with SJAI if they did not wish to.

SJAI has commenced the recruitment process for the new, full-time national safeguarding lead. The process has been progressing since the close of applications in late September. The lead will work with SJAI volunteers who operate the child protection policy and report directly to the board of SJAI.

SJAI has advised the Department that at the end of June, two of their longest-serving board members, who had agreed to stay in their roles to assist with the delivery of the independent safeguarding report and the preparation of plans for implementing Dr. Shannon's recommendations and who included the independent chairman, had stepped down. A new interim chairman has been appointed and the board of SJAI has a process in place to replace the directors who have resigned.

I am committed to upholding the best interests of children in all situations. I note the progress made by SJAI in implementing the recommendations of the report into historical abuse and the ongoing co-operation of SJAI with the Department in this regard. I look forward to hearing about the appointment of the national safeguarding lead. Any concerns about child abuse relating to SJAI or other services, organisations or individuals should, of course, be referred to Tusla and An Garda Síochána at the earliest opportunity.

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