Written answers

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Department of Education and Science

Child Protection

9:00 pm

Photo of Mary O'RourkeMary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1103: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 466 of 10 November 2009, if he will supply this Deputy with a list of the 700 primary schools which are either not implementing the stay safe programme in full or not implementing the programme at all. [1824/10]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The 700 schools referred to by the Deputy were identified in a survey conducted by my Department in 2005. The data from this survey has since enabled, my Department, through its Teacher Education Section, to make additional resources available to provide targeted training in the Stay Safe Programme to these particular schools. To date more than 500 of the 700 identified have accessed training to support the implementation of the Stay Safe programme.

More up to date information in relation to the implementation of Stay Safe is being gathered and will be compiled as part of the wider LifeSkills survey which is currently being undertaken by my Department. In June 2009, my Department wrote to all primary schools asking them to complete a Lifeskills Survey. The survey covers a broad range of areas including implementation of Stay Safe. To date responses have been received from 2542 primary schools and a reminder has issued to those that have not yet responded.

Notwithstanding the current position, the Deputy will be aware that I have recently stated my intention that Stay Safe should be made mandatory for all schools.

Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for my Department. In anticipation of the review and recent updating of Children First, my Department wrote to all the education partners last Autumn inviting submissions from them on potential changes that might be desirable to my Department's existing child protection guidelines to schools. The education partners were also invited to participate in a working party to review the guidelines and the working party commenced its work before Christmas.

Ensuring that the Stay Safe Programme is implemented in all schools as part of a comprehensive set of practices, procedures and guidelines to ensure child safety is important and it for this reason that I have stated my intention to have it included as a mandatory requirement for all schools in any revision to the current arrangements that emerges from the working party.

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