Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 406: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied that in the event of an allegation of abuse being made to a teacher, informing the designated liaison person in the school is sufficient; and her views on whether it should be mandatory that the allegation goes directly to either the Health Service Executive or the Gardaí. [13608/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The primary statutory responsibility for child protection lies with the Health Services Executive (HSE). The role of my Department is to provide guidance and support to schools in implementing child protection policy and to refer any allegations received to the appropriate authorities for investigation.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has issued child protection guidelines 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.

Consistent with the principles of Children First, all organisations providing services to children should identify a designated person to act as a liaison with outside agencies and as a resource person to any staff member or volunteer who has child protection concerns. The designated person is responsible for reporting allegations or suspicions of child abuse to the HSE or An Garda Síochána. My Department's 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.

In accordance with Children First and my Department's guidelines, if a member of school staff receives an allegation or has a suspicion that a child may have been abused, or is being abused, or is at risk of abuse he/she should, without delay, report the matter to the DLP in that school. The DLP is responsible for ensuring that the standard reporting procedure is followed so that suspected cases of child abuse are referred promptly to the HSE or An Garda Síochána.

The guidelines provide that if the DLP is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for the suspicion or allegation, he/she should report the matter to the HSE immediately.

Both Children First and my Department's child protection guidelines for schools require that where the DLP decides that the concerns of the member of staff should not be referred to the HSE, the member of staff should be given a clear statement, in writing, as to the reasons why action is not being taken and that the member of staff should be advised that, if he/she remains concerned about the situation, he/she is free to consult with or report to the HSE.

The Deputy will also be aware that, in anticipation of the review and proposed 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. The working party commenced last December and its work is ongoing.