Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1151. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an investigation will be launched into whether the threshold for the reporting of child abuse was reached in the cases shown in a programme (details supplied); and if instances of child abuse not featured in the programme but brought to the attention of the company concerned through content moderation activity and which reach the reporting threshold have all been reported to the appropriate authorities. [35509/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Child protection is everyone’s responsibility. In order to keep children as safe as possible it is important that people across society can recognise when the children that they are in contact with are being harmed and that they are aware of what action to take in response.

The Children First Act 2015, which was fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for reporting and management of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing services to children.

Section 10 of the Act requires that providers of relevant services to children ensure, as far as is practicable, that each child availing of the service from the provider is safe from harm while availing of that service. Section 14 of the Act imposes a specific obligation on mandated reporters to report child protection concerns above a certain threshold, i.e. that a child has been harmed, is being harmed or is at risk of being harmed, to Tusla.  Harm is defined in the Act.

The statutory obligations under these two Sections of the Act and the determination in any set of circumstances as to whether to refer a report to Tusla lies with the mandated reporter or with the provider of a relevant service to children, as, or if, applicable.

The Act operates side-by-side with the non-statutory obligations provided for in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The guidance, which was revised last year to include reference to the provisions of the Act, describes the main types of abuse and signs for its recognition and sets out what action should be taken to help ensure that a child who may be at risk is protected from harm. It describes how to report a child protection concern and what happens when a report is made to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla.

The key principle of Children First is that child protection issues are the responsibility of all and that child safety and welfare concerns must be dealt with as and where they arise. In this regard, my colleague, the Minister for Communication, Climate Action and Environment, met with representatives of the company concerned to discuss the issues raised in the programme referred to by the Deputy.

A 90 minute e-learning training module was developed by Tusla to support the implementation of Children First. The module, which is universally available free of charge on the Tusla website www.tusla.ie, includes information on how to recognise and report child abuse.

Following the broadcast of the programme in question I called on all social media providers to ensure their moderator and subcontractor staff undertake the online Children First training. I understand that Tusla will meet with the company concerned next month to discuss this issue further.

The provisions of the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 are also relevant.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1152. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an investigation will be launched into whether the threshold for the reporting of child abuse was reached in the cases shown in a programme (details supplied); and if instances of child abuse not featured in the programme but brought to the attention of the company concerned through content moderation activity reached that threshhold in these cases. [35510/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Child protection is everyone’s responsibility. In order to keep children as safe as possible it is important that people across society can recognise when the children that they are in contact with are being harmed and that they are aware of what action to take in response.

The Children First Act 2015, which was fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for reporting and management of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing services to children.

Section 10 of the Act requires that providers of relevant services to children ensure, as far as is practicable, that each child availing of the service from the provider is safe from harm while availing of that service. Section 14 of the Act imposes a specific obligation on mandated reporters to report child protection concerns above a certain threshold, i.e. that a child has been harmed, is being harmed or is at risk of being harmed, to Tusla.  Harm is defined in the Act.

The statutory obligations under these two Sections of the Act and the determination in any set of circumstances as to whether to refer a report to Tusla lies with the mandated reporter or with the provider of a relevant service to children, as, or if, applicable.

The Act operates side-by-side with the non-statutory obligations provided for in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The guidance, which was revised last year to include reference to the provisions of the Act, describes the main types of abuse and signs for its recognition and sets out what action should be taken to help ensure that a child who may be at risk is protected from harm. It describes how to report a child protection concern and what happens when a report is made to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla.

The key principle of Children First is that child protection issues are the responsibility of all and that child safety and welfare concerns must be dealt with as and where they arise. In this regard, my colleague, the Minister for Communication, Climate Action and Environment, met with representatives of the company concerned to discuss the issues raised in the programme referred to by the Deputy.

A 90 minute e-learning training module was developed by Tusla to support the implementation of Children First. The module, which is universally available free of charge on the Tusla website www.tusla.ie,includes information on how to recognise and report child abuse.

Following the broadcast of the programme in question I called on all social media providers to ensure their moderator and subcontractor staff undertake the online Children First training. I understand that Tusla will meet with the company concerned  next month to discuss this issue further.

The provisions of the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 are also relevant.