Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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625. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will legislate to make it mandatory for all sports clubs to have a child welfare officer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2659/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Children First Act 2015 was signed into law on 19 November 2015, in accordance with a key commitment in the Programme for Government, and provides for, inter alia-

- mandatory reporting by key professionals,

- mandated assisting,

- comprehensive risk assessment and preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements by services for children, and

- the establishment of the Children First Interdepartmental Implementation Group on a statutory basis.

The Act imposes obligations on certain individuals working with children and on relevant service providers as follows-

- Certain persons, who are mandated persons under the Act, will be required by the legislation to report child welfare and protection concerns to the Child and Family Agency and to assist the Agency, on request, in the assessment of such reports. Mandated persons will also be required to report to the Agency any disclosures of harm made to the mandated person by a child.

- Providers of relevant services to children will be required to develop a Child Safeguarding Statement which involves undertaking a risk assessment of any potential harm to a child while availing of the service and the measures that will be take to ensure, as far as is practicable, that a child is safe from harm while availing of the service.

These provisions will apply to any organisation, including sporting organisations, where any work or activity consists of the provision of recreational, leisure, social or physical activities to children.

- My focus has been on the introduction of these measures under the Children First Act 2015 and I believe that these two significant legislative obligations will put in place a robust system to protect children while they are availing of the relevant services.

The Act will operate side-by-side with the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011which provides in Section 3.3. that organisations providing services to children should identify a designated liaison person to act as a liaison with outside agencies and a resource person to any staff member or volunteer who has child protection concerns.

Given the protections outlined above, I do not consider it necessary to legislate to require organisations to have child welfare officers.