Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to acknowledge and provide restitution for survivors who experienced abuse in Irish schools under the guideline of ‘corporal punishment’. [40147/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department takes child protection very seriously and considers that the protection and welfare of children is a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children. Since the introduction of a revised primary school curriculum in 1970 and the total prohibition of use of corporal punishment from 1 February 1982, child protection requirements and procedures in schools have been introduced and strengthened on a number of occasions.

The Children First Act 2015 and the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 , promote the protection of children from abuse and neglect. They set out what individuals and organisations need to do to keep children safe and how to deal with concerns about a child's safety or welfare.

Following the publication of the Children First Guidance in 2017, new Child Protection procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools were published. The procedures are based on Children First and provide detailed direction to school management and staff on the identification of and response to child protection concerns. The procedures include reporting procedures, oversight measures and the introduction of child protection and safeguarding inspections.

In 2021 the Department engaged an independent reviewer to carry out a High-Level Independent Review of the Department of Education's Current Child Protection Policies and Processes. The review examined the policies and processes that the Department has in place for the protection and safeguarding of children and young people. The aim of the review was to identify any existing or potential gaps, risks or areas for improvement and to make recommendations for improvements both short and long term. The procedures were updated in August 2023 and the Department has continued to implement the recommendations contained in the report, which included the publication of the updated Child Protection Procedures for Schools in May 2025. The Department continues to implement the remaining recommendations contained in the review report.

The obligations and responsibilities which arise from the procedures have been taken very seriously by schools since their implementation and there is a very strong culture of child protection across the school sector.

The details of any concern reported to the Department, including reports which relate to historical abuse, are immediately passed on to the relevant authorities, that is, Tusla-the Child and Family Agency, An Garda Síochána and/or the school authorities as appropriate, in line with the Department's procedures for staff. The Department has no statutory role in investigating child protection concerns or allegations of abuse.