Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the education sector, vetting is currently done in respect of newly appointed teachers via the registration process with the Teaching Council. It is also done for prospective employees for posts that involve working with children such as Special Needs assistants (SNAs), bus drivers, bus escorts to children with special needs, caretakers and other ancillary staff. As the expansion of service by the Garda Vetting Unit is rolled out my Department will be consulting the relevant stakeholders on how best to introduce vetting of existing teachers and other education staff working with children.

Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for this Government, for parents, for agencies that work with children and for society generally. To this end, the Programme for Government provides for a proposed amendment to the Constitution which will further strengthen our ability to protect our children by allowing the Oireachtas to legislate for the exchange of information about suspected child abusers. The Programme is committed to putting in place the necessary structures and systems to increase cooperation on vetting and the exchange of all relevant information about those who work or seek to work with children and vulnerable adults.

Furthermore, there is a commitment to provide extra resources to the Garda vetting service and also that we will develop an all-Ireland approach to child protection. I can assure the Deputy that this Government is determined to do all that we can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases.

As a general matter, however, appointing staff is the responsibility of the board of management and it is for the Board to satisfy itself that a particular individual is considered suitable for appointment. Where facts or information comes to a Board's attention calling into question a person's suitability to work with children it is obviously for the Board to satisfy itself that the person is suitable to work in that capacity. This will naturally have to be assessed on a case by case basis. The Board will have to consider all the circumstances of the case, give due weight to all relevant factors, and afford fair procedures to the individual concerned before making a decision.

I would like to assure the Deputy that where allegations of child abuse are reported to my Department, whether current or having occurred in the past, these are brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities.

Furthermore, from the beginning of the 2006/2007 academic year, all new teachers and other ancillary staff who have unsupervised access to children are subject to Garda vetting. As the roll out of Garda Vetting expands, it will be broadened to include all serving teachers.

Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, for parents, for agencies that work with children and for society generally and I can assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to do all that we can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.