Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House; it is always great to see her here. I congratulate her and her officials on all the work they do, especially in this area.

As the Minister and Senator Freeman have said, it is a very significant milestone in child protection in Ireland. Two decades have passed since mandatory reporting was first suggested and it is difficult to understand why it took this long. We must acknowledge that the previous Government was the first to appoint a full Cabinet Minister with responsibility for children. Obviously, it takes time to solve certain historical issues. I give credit to the Minister and her officials for getting us to this point notwithstanding all the obstacles they have to overcome.Over recent years, much work has been done to ensure the successful implementation of this measure. It includes the measures the Minister outlined, such as online training and the information and awareness work, in addition to increased funding, which is crucial. Children remain and will always be among the most vulnerable members of society. It is right that we take every possible measure to ensure their safety in every respect.

For many years throughout our history, child protection was hidden or somehow ignored. This has been discussed regularly in these Houses. It is only by dragging these issues into the light that we can deal with them. This is a good step in that regard.

In preparation for the introduction of mandatory protection, Tusla has prepared online tools aimed at education, as the Minister has outlined. Senator Gallagher made the fair point that education is crucial. Included is a child welfare and protection e-learning programme, provided free of charge. Additional resources have been developed, including a guideline for reporting child welfare and protection concerns and information regarding the development of child safeguarding statements. The Minister has mentioned much of this already.

I welcome the Minister's announcement on additional funding of €40 million in the budget for Tusla. This will mean that the total budget for Tusla, for the first time in the history of the State, will surpass €750 million. This will allow it to carry out its responsibility to a greater capacity and improve the services for those who rely on them. It also plans to expand its operation in 2018. It has set aside funding that will allow it to take on an additional 300 members of staff. I hope that will serve to deal with many of the issues Senator Freeman has quite rightly alluded to.

As a society, we must always be aware of the possibility of child abuse. We can think the best of people but we must always be on the alert. We often see in the media when cases surrounding child welfare arise the shock and surprise in the community. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to be vigilant, educate ourselves and better equip ourselves with regard to potential red flags that may be in plain sight but that somehow go unnoticed. This is most true with regard to teachers and staff of any organisation that provides services to children. Obviously, the default position is that we think the best of people but we need to be vigilant.

Mandatory reporting will require any organisation providing services to children to produce its own child safety statement and report any child welfare concerns to the Child and Family Agency. As such, the agency has developed 17 contact points across the country that are dedicated to receiving these reports. The details of all the locations can be found on the agency's website. Mandatory reporting provides protection to children through those working on the front line. This relates to what Senator Freeman said about front-line services and their importance. Every Member of the Oireachtas shares the same objective regarding this issue. In a way, it is beyond politics. It goes without saying that we want the best for the children of the country and to protect them in the best way possible. We now have a significant framework, new systems, new staff and more funding than ever before. That is extremely positive. In saying so, I am not trying to brush over any negatives. It will bring an end to the long debate that has spanned two decades. In many ways, it is a shame it has taken so long to get to this point but we have to be grateful that we are here.

I thank all those organisations and individuals who worked tirelessly, through lobbying and facilitating the infrastructure in here, to ensure we reached this point. With regard to mandatory reporting, I hope Tusla will continue to enjoy the confidence and support of these Houses, that its work will be acted upon in good faith and that it will continue to safeguard the crucial services and protections it provides.