Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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46. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to a recent article and documentary detailing the alleged mishandling of disclosures of serious abuse at a service (details supplied); the measures being taken by her Department in relation to staff and board members for allegedly misleading investigators and victims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18894/18]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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57. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department has had engagement with a service (details supplied) in view of alleged mishandling of disclosures of abuse detailed in a recent article and documentary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18895/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 57 together.

Officials from my Department have been in contact with this organisation in relation to the allegations made. They were informed that the organisation carried out its own internal investigation into handling of the allegation of serious abuse and determined that the complainant had not reported the alleged abuse to any member of staff at the time the alleged incident occurred.

Officials were also informed that Tusla has reviewed the Child Protection and Safeguarding policies and practices in place within the organisation and deemed that young people's safety is protected. The organisation has informed my Department that the Ombudsman for Children has also completed an examination of the complaint and was satisfied that the organisation acted reasonably towards the complainant.

The organisation is obliged to adhere to the requirements of the recently enacted provisions of the Children First Act 2015 and has provided written confirmation to my Department that the requisite Child Safeguarding Statement and risk assessment is completed.

I have asked my officials to seek a written report on this matter from the organisation concerned.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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47. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that each voluntary organisation in receipt of funding from her Department is meeting child protection requirements; her views on whether sufficient steps are being taken to ensure that this is the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18800/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on organisations providing relevant services to children. These obligations include: a requirement to keep children safe from harm while they are availing of the service; a requirement to carry out a risk assessment, and, a requirement to prepare a child safeguarding statement which sets out the policies and procedures which are in place to mitigate these risks. 

The obligations of all Government Departments, including my own, regarding the oversight of bodies which provide a relevant service and which are funded by Departments are set out in section 27 of the Children First Act. 

Section 27 requires each Government Department to prepare and publish a Sectorial Implementation Plan that outlines the programme of measures to be taken to ensure that the Department, and any body that provides a relevant service and receives funding from that Department, complies with the provisions of the Act.

The Sectorial Implementation Plan for my Department, which was published in March 2018, is available on www.dcya.gov.ie.

Funding provided by my Department to any organisation is contingent on that organisation meeting with a range of governance requirements.  This includes its commitment to, and compliance with, all legal requirements in the area of child protection as set out in the Children First Act 2015. In cases where I am not satisfied that governance requirements are being met, including those in relation to child protection, funding may be withdrawn.