Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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231. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the risks posed by coercive ideological groups targeting young people; if the current child protection frameworks are sufficient to respond to this form of exploitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17760/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Child protection is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary activity. Under Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, anyone with a reasonable concern that a child may have been, is being or is at risk of being abused is required to report that information to Tusla. The Guidance provides detailed information on the different types of abuse and how to recognise them. Under the Children First Act 2015, moreover, mandated persons working in a wide range of professions, as set out under Schedule 2 of the Act, are legally obligated to make a mandated report to Tusla in cases where they know, believe or have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child has been harmed, is being harmed, or is at risk of being harmed, as defined under the Act.

Organisations providing services to children also have statutory obligations to safeguard children under the Children First Act; and all Government Departments are obliged to have in place a Sectoral Implementation Plan setting out their compliance and the compliance of the bodies funded by them, with the requirements of the 2015 Act and of the Children First National Guidance. The 2015 Act also established the Children First Inter-Departmental Implementation Group on a statutory basis, to support and monitor implementation of Children First across sectors. Representatives of Tusla and An Garda Síochána also sit on this group, which provides a forum to consider emerging issues in respect of child protection, as relevant to Children First, across Government. Tusla provides ongoing guidance and support to individuals, organisations, sectoral bodies and agencies in implementing Children First.

I also wish to highlight the work of Coimisiún na Meán and the Online Safety Commissioner, particularly their online safety code, which includes specific protections for children: www.cnam.ie/industry-and-professionals/online-safety-framework/online-safety-code/ .