Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 1710 of 6 September 2019, the discussions that have taken place between her Department and an organisation (details supplied) about historical files being held at the organisation’s headquarters covering historical cases of child abuse, child sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse; the number of such files; the person charged with auditing these files; if these files have been incorporated into Tusla’s work with the organisation's current review of its child safeguarding practices ahead of the publication of the written progress report due for publication at the end of October 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42428/19]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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229. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 1710 of 6 September 2019, if she will be making public the written report from an organisation (details supplied) on its child safeguarding and reporting obligations which is due for publication at the end of October 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42429/19]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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230. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will be making public the report drawn up by a person (details supplied) on the review of child safeguarding standards in an organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42430/19]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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231. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will be making public an organisation's (details supplied) report on the review of historical files, as referenced in the organisation’s report to her Department in March 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42431/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 231, inclusive, together.

Over the last two years My Department has received regular progress reports from Scouting Ireland with regards to their governance and safeguarding, and have also regularly met with officials from Scouting Ireland to discuss these.  The most recent progress report was 9 March 2019 and this was followed by a meeting to discuss the report on 10 April 2019.

My Department is expecting a further progress report from Scouting Ireland on 30 October 2019 and are planning again to have a meeting with officials from Scouting Ireland in November 2019 to discuss same (date to be confirmed).  The report will include an update on all aspects of governance, safeguarding, including relevant figures on historic abuse cases.

As the Deputy may be aware, previous progress reports are available on Scouting Ireland’s website https://www.scouts.ie//News/2019/Scouting-Ireland-Report-to-DCYA-March-2019.pdf.  The October 2019 report, and any appendices and attached reports, will also be made available once they have been considered by my Department.

I am unclear regarding the Deputy's reference to ‘the person charged with auditing these files’.  However, I understand that Scouting Ireland have been in regular positive communication with Tusla to progress the Action Plan that was agreed between Tusla and Scouting Ireland on 7 March 2019.  I look forward to hearing of progress with this Action Plan in the forthcoming progress report.

I understand that the individual employed as a Safeguarding Manager within Scouting Ireland is a mandated person as per Children First Act 2015.