Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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15. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of funding for an organisation (details supplied); the implications for the funding of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52468/18]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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There is no doubt that child protection is and has to be the number one priority and we have seen the further recent reports highlighting the issues in Scouting Ireland. The Minister previously withheld funding for the organisation when she was pursuing governance questions. I understand that funding is in place until next spring and in view of the recent reports, I want to establish the Minister's position and if she is satisfied with the governance.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I have had reason to suspend and later restore funding to Scouting Ireland on a number of occasions in the last year. I first withheld funding in April because of concerns relating to governance arrangements.

In May, I appointed Ms Jillian van Turnhout, as an independent expert, to examine governance and related issues within Scouting Ireland. Her report made recommendations in the areas of safeguarding, management of the organisation, governance proposals and charities regulation and indicated that the restoration of funding to Scouting Ireland should be clearly linked to the successful implementation of these recommendations.

Following confirmation of the board's commitment to implement all of Ms van Turnhout's recommendations, I decided to provide Scouting Ireland with interim funding from June for a further three month period up until the end of September. In providing this interim funding, I requested that Scouting Ireland provide me with a further report by 24 September. It did so, and set out the progress in implementing the outstanding recommendations of the review of Scouting Ireland.

At the end of September, the former board of Scouting Ireland voted to reinstate the chief scout as chair of their forthcoming EGM. Shortly afterwards, I received letters from the then interim chair and Mr. Ian Elliott setting out their serious concerns about the board's actions and its ability to govern the organisation properly. I decided to suspend funding further for as long as the then board was in place. A new board was elected at the EGM on 6 October.

Given the significant progress made by Scouting Ireland in implementing Ms van Turnhout's recommendations and in the essential governance changes committed to by the organisation, I then restored funding to Scouting Ireland until the end of April 2019. I have requested a further progress report from the organisation by the end of March 2019, as well as copies of the independent barrister's report and the final lan Elliott report of the individual case review he conducted.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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How satisfied is the Minister with the current situation with the board and the governance that is there? Does she have confidence in the current board? Is she satisfied that the various undertakings are being delivered on in order to continue funding and that safety and child protection is as it should be there?

I am also conscious that there has been so much good done right across the country by Scouting Ireland as well and that parents do not want it all wiped out and they want to continue with a good, safe service for their children where everything is in order. We want reassurance that the Minister is satisfied with the areas that are functioning well and that she is dealing with the areas where there is an issue. Can the Minister clarify how satisfied she is with the progress that has been made and is she confident that the current board is in a position to deliver?

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am awaiting a progress report in March 2019, which is what I asked for in order to make an assessment about the restoration of funding for April 2019. That is still my plan of action.

The issues the new board is dealing with are shocking and deeply distressing. Some, though obviously not all of them, were apparent to the board and its new chair as they were willing to step forward and offer themselves to take leadership of the organisation at this point in its history. Yes, I do have confidence in the board to the extent that I have witnessed what it has done recently since taking on the leadership. As the Deputy will be aware, things change every day as Mr. Elliott continues his work on the investigation of files and alleged victims or abuse survivors contact Tusla as well as the Garda. This is in progress, and I believe that, as the board continues to manage this, we will ultimately have a deeper sense of the extent of the damage, the abuse and the horror that has happened in the organisation.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge and welcome that the Minister has outlined her confidence in the board. She has also outlined that the report she expects towards the end of March will form a decision as to whether or not funding will be granted. Does this mean that funding will continue in the current form until then? Will she clarify this?

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am not considering reviewing my decision in October to renew funding until the end of April 2019. In other words, that still stands. I would only consider such a review were I to receive information pertinent to the ongoing review of the historic files that would draw into question the current services and the consequent governance problems. Furthermore, one matter that is critical for the organisation is to hire a safeguarding manager, which position has been advertised for some time. It is a crucial post. Once this post is filled, I think it is the intention of Scouting Ireland to put in place a safeguarding team to work with the safeguarding manager. This would also assist them in their work.