Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the practice that has been put in place to ensure that registered sex offenders are not used as substitute teachers in schools; and if the new proposed legislation will deal with this issue. [13260/08]

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.

With regard to the appointment of substitute teachers, 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.

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 it can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.

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.