Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility and should be everybody's business. I am committed to working with the HSE and Tusla to ensure there is a focus on continually enhancing the approach to safeguarding across all services. We are conscious of the obligations on us as individuals, whether working in the field of education, sport or whatever. When we deal with young people, we are all mandated persons and there is a process that needs to be followed.

There is a body of work under way on adult safeguarding, which has also been raised. The HSE has introduced a national policy on safeguarding vulnerable persons at risk of abuse and has established a national safeguarding office and safeguarding protection teams. For the first time, the HSE has appointed a chief social worker, which is an important step forward. An issue has been raised around developing a new policy in adult safeguarding. That is under way by the Department of Health and should be coming before us shortly.

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