Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1080 of 19 January 2010, the number of schools where his Department's inspectorate discussed child protection concerns with all staff and examined related records in the case of concerns reported to the Health Service Executive by the designated liaison person; the number of schools where the Inspectorate sought and inspected those files and following all inspections, checks and discussions then recorded in the whole school evaluation report that each school was fully compliant with its written policy in the 2001 child protection guidelines and procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7774/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The primary statutory responsibility for child protection lies with the Health Service Executive. The role of my Department is to provide guidance and support to schools in implementing child protection policy and to refer any allegations the Department receives to the appropriate authorities for investigation. My Department has issued child protection guidelines and procedures to all schools. The guidelines are based on Children First – the Department of Health & Children's national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children. The Children First guidelines make very clear the reporting and investigation mechanisms to be followed in cases of suspected child abuse wherever they occur, and the lead role of the HSE. The guidelines for schools require each board of management to designate a senior member of staff, normally the principal, as the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for the school. The DLP acts as a liaison person with the health authorities and other agencies on child protection issues and as a resource person to any staff member who has concerns in this regard.

As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for ensuring that child protection requirements are complied with rests with the school board, the principal and the staff of each school. The Inspectorate of my Department undertakes whole-school evaluations in line with its quality assurance remit set out in Section 13 of the Education Act 1998. The WSE process involves evaluating schools under the areas of management, planning, curriculum provision, teaching and learning and student support. A total of 302 whole-school evaluations in 245 primary and 57 post-primary schools, and 21 evaluations of centres for education were conducted in 2009.

The procedures in these evaluations include a specific review of school policies in the area of child protection. This review involves checking that each school has formally adopted the child protection guidelines as recommended in Children First and in the child protection guidelines of the Department of Education and Science. Confirmation is sought from the school authorities that the child protection procedures have been brought to the attention of management, school staff and parents and that a copy of the procedures has been provided to all staff (including all new staff). The procedures also involve checking that a Designated Liaison Person (DLP) has been nominated by the school. Where necessary, inspectors examine the minutes of board meetings, the recorded details of the adoption of the school's child protection policy and official school documentation naming the Designated Liaison Person (DLP). Inspectors may also follow up on any issues with members of school management and staff. The relevant findings are included in the WSE inspection report which is provided to the school's board of management and published on the Department's website. In addition, my Department's Schools Division may also follow-up with schools, where appropriate. The investigation of cases of concern reported to the Health Service Executive by a Designated Liaison Person is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE), within its statutory remit, as distinct from the statutory remit of the Inspectorate under the Education Act, 1998 in relation to inspections. Accordingly the Inspectorate does not examine the details of individual files or cases.

The Deputy will be aware that, 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 the 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. A review of oversight arrangements in relation to cases that arise in schools will be an element of that work.