Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

At the outset I welcome back to the Chamber the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Seán Haughey. I congratulate him on his re-appointment as Minister of State and on his retention of his previous brief. This is not a surprise because he is doing an outstanding job there, particularly in respect of lifelong learning.

I will be brief because much of what I had intended to say already has been covered and I will confine myself to one or two points. I support the extension of time for the commission to complete its important work, which must be brought to fruition. I commend the Opposition in both Houses on the positive approach it has taken to this issue. While reading the Official Report on the Dáil debate on this matter, I was struck by the compassion, humanity and practicality of all the contributions. I include the contributions made in this House today by Senators Ryan and Healy Eames. The horror of child abuse and the manner in which all decent people recoil from it unite people, who will work together to ensure they can afford the maximum protection to young people.

I was delighted to learn today that the report will be published and made available to the public. Clearly the report will inform the Government on whatever future steps it will take to minimise child abuse and afford maximum protection. I may be repeating sentiments already expressed when I say the commission's work is retrospective and will teach us to deal with the problem in future. The report will not solve all of the problems and, pending its publication, we still have no idea what goes on in society. We do not know the individual horrors young people may be experiencing as we have this debate in Leinster House. That defenceless young people should be subjected to attack and abuse will touch everyone to the core.

This matter hits the headlines now and again when situations like the recent one involving that monster in Austria come to light. It is difficult to understand how such humans exist but abuse goes on at a wider and more subtle level. I am no expert in this area but I would say parental abuse of children is the most difficult to detect. It takes place in the home, it involves family, it is secretive and one wonders how much ever comes to light.

There is, of course, institutional abuse and schools are regularly mentioned in this regard because teachers work in loco parentis. Teachers have huge responsibilities that, in the main, they discharge exceptionally well. In this regard I compliment the teachers' unions because they have been proactive on this issue and as recently as last week the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, held a conference on how teachers can detect and report abuse and manage complaints. It has been stated that one in every four teachers has had an allegation of or has had to report child abuse. I taught for 20 years and was not especially involved in such detection, though I was part of a team in a school with an effective mentoring process. School chaplaincies have been very good in this regard, although bishops do not have as many priests at their disposal as they had and many chaplains are now lay people. The area has been diluted. These people have experience and my colleague, Senator Ormonde, as a counsellor, had the necessary conviction and passion to address this matter. One cannot beat the human element provided by the caring professions.

Teachers are vetted, except for untrained substitute teachers as Senator de Búrca mentioned. I spoke to some friends of mine at the weekend, including two school principals, and they are the designated officers for this matter in their schools. They feel inadequate and without proper training. It is less a matter of resources and more a matter of experience and training in how to handle these situations. They take these matters seriously. What level of vetting is applied to other professions that interact with young people, including the medical and clerical areas? I am aware of vetting in the teaching profession but I am not aware of it in other areas. I commend this motion to the House.