Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of enacting all provisions of the Children First legislation in the education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17810/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Children First Act 2015 will, when fully commenced by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, put elements of the Children First-National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children on a statutory footing. The Act provides for a number of key child protection measures, as follows:

- A requirement on organisations providing services to children, which includes all schools, to keep children safe and to produce a Child Safeguarding Statement;

- A requirement on defined categories of persons (mandated persons), which includes registered teachers, to report child protection concerns over a defined threshold to the Child and Family Agency (Tusla);

- A requirement on mandated persons which includes registered teachers, to assist Tusla in the assessment of a child protection risk, if so requested to do so by Tusla;

- Putting the Children First Interdepartmental Implementation Group on a statutory footing.

The commencement of the 2015 Act will result in the publication of new Children First National Guidance which in turn will necessitate changes to the existing Child Protection Procedures for schools.  The 2015 Act also provides that Tusla will issue guidance in relation to the Act’s requirements in respect of Child Safeguarding Statements. 

My Department has commenced a review of the existing child protection procedures for schools in consultation with the relevant education partners.  This  review will take account of the statutory provisions of the Children First Act 2015 and, when available, the updated Children First National Guidance and guidance on child safeguarding published by Tusla in accordance with the Act.

It is not anticipated that the implementation of revised procedures for schools will lead to any increased costs at school level.  There may be some additional costs arising in respect of the child protection training made available by my Department.  The precise nature and extent of any changes needed to the existing training programme will not be clear until the full suite of national guidance documentation and the Department’s revised procedures for schools are finalised.