Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 421: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will give assurance that in every school where her Department undertakes a whole school evaluation that her inspectors will examine all files relating to the implementation of child protection policy, including those allegations or concerns reported to the Health Service Executive by the designated liaison person and ensure through in-depth inspection, checks and discussions with staff and the board of management that implementation shows compliance with written policy and Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures 2001 and that the findings are recorded in the whole school evaluation report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21332/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South 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.

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 rise in schools is an element of that work.