Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of a report (details supplied); the implications for the funding of the organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38030/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Scouting Ireland commissioned Mr Ian Elliott to carry out a review into the organisation’s handling of an allegation of a serious sexual assault on an adult volunteer by another adult volunteer. I have not yet received a copy of this report.

While this alleged assault took place in 2009, it was only reported within the organisation in 2016. Following on from Mr Elliott's report on child protection matters, Scouting Ireland engaged a barrister to conduct a full investigation into this allegation, particularly with regard to the handling of the matter by certain senior volunteers. I will be receiving both reports once the investigation is completed.

In 2017 Scouting Ireland previously engaged Mr Ian Elliott to conduct a review of its child safeguarding/protection policies and procedures. An interim report was produced in October 2017 and a final report was produced in January 2018. Both of these reports were subsequently submitted to my Department in March 2018.

In view of the information available to me relating to the governance arrangements within Scouting Ireland I decided, in April this year, to withhold the drawdown of further funding to the organisation under the Youth Service Grant Scheme until I could be satisfied that the organisation's governance standards were up to the required level.

In May, I appointed Ms Jillian van Turnhout, as an independent expert, to examine the governance and related issues within Scouting Ireland. In accordance with her Terms of Reference she was asked to provide me with a clear assessment of Scouting Ireland's governance arrangements. Ms van Turnhout submitted her final report on the Review of Scouting Ireland to me on 14th June. The report contained a number of recommendations in the areas of safeguarding, management of the organisation, governance proposals and charities regulation. Ms van Turnhout also indicated that the restoration of funding to Scouting Ireland should be clearly linked to the successful implementation of these recommendations.

The Board of Scouting Ireland subsequently confirmed its decision to fully implement all the recommendations contained in the Review of Scouting Ireland report. On 25th June I decided to provide Scouting Ireland with interim funding for a further three month period up until the end of September. This funding was provided in view of the significant progress achieved by Scouting Ireland in the implementation of a number of the required recommendations and to provide it with an opportunity to implement the outstanding recommendations.

In providing this interim funding I requested that Scouting Ireland provide me with a further report by 24th September detailing progress in the implementation of the outstanding recommendations contained in the Review of Scouting Ireland. On receipt of this report I will be in a position to consider if Scouting Ireland has achieved the strong governance standards required of organisations in receipt of public funding which would allow for the full restoration of funding to Scouting Ireland.

My hope is that Scouting Ireland will address all the outstanding issues relating to the standards of governance within the organisation. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I believe the organisation does very good work and I would love to see it continue to play an important role in the lives of our children and young people.