Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to introduce the guidelines in the report delivered to him three years ago by his Department's video evidence committee, which was set up over six years ago to introduce guidelines for the taking of statements from children in instances of alleged abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36504/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Section 16 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992 provides that a video recording of any evidence given by a person under 17 years of age in respect of sexual or violent offences shall be admissible at a trial as evidence. My predecessor as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform established a committee to draw up guidelines for persons involved in video recording interviews with a complainant aged under 14 years of age or with a mental handicap about a sexual or violent offence during an interview with gardaí or other person competent for the purpose, which subsequently forwarded good practice guidelines to me with related recommendations.

Devising a new mechanism to oversee the implementation of the guidelines by the gardaí and the health authorities requires input from a number of Departments and agencies, including this Department, the Department of Health and Children, as well as the gardaí and the Health Service Executive. This view is shared by the Department of Health and Children.

The Department has, therefore, asked the Health Service Executive for its views on the most effective mechanism to oversee the implementation of the guidelines and also on the related issues of how a joint national training programme might be developed by the agencies involved and how suitable places to conduct interviews of the type in question might be made available. The Health Service Executive has indicated that it us currently examining the issues involved internally and will revert to my Department shortly.