While I share the Deputy's concern about recent revelations of abuse of children in residential care, it is important that we should not lose sight of the excellent work being performed by residential care staff, the vast majority of whom are above reproach and share our revulsion at what has happened. Having said that I assure the House that a number of measures have been and are being taken to try to guard against the abuse of children in residential care.
I recently made regulations under the Child Care Act in relation to the placement by health boards of children in residential care. These regulations came into force on 31 October 1995 at the same time as 44 sections of the Act were brought into operation. The new regulations set down requirements regarding adequate and suitable accommodation, food and care for children, the regular visiting, supervision and review of children in residential centres and the proper conduct of these centres.
In particular, the regulations require each health board to satisfy itself that adequate arrangements are in place at each residential centre to guard against the risk of injury and for the reporting and recording of accidents and injuries affecting children residing there; to satisfy itself that procedures are in place for the prompt notification to the board of significant events affecting children placed there by the board; to monitor standards in each residential centre and ensure that the centre is visited from time to time by an authorised person; to arrange for the supervision of children placed in residential centres by the board, it requires that a child be visited as often as may be necessary, but the maximum intervals between visits will be three months during the first two years of the placement and six months thereafter; to arrange for the periodical review of each child placed in a residential centre. Reviews will be carried out at intervals not exceeding six months during the first two years of the placement and thereafter at least once in each calendar year.
In addition to the regulations, my Department has also circulated a Draft Guide to Standards in Children's Residential Centres. This provides advice to all agencies concerned with the provision of residential care for children on the standards which should obtain in such centres. The guide addresses a range of issues relating to residential care and pays particular attention to the need to ensure that children in care are not exposed to any risk of abuse. The guide highlights the importance of agreed child protection procedures for residential centres which would define policy in relation to the prompt reporting and investigation of any suspicions or allegations of abuse or neglect of children while in residential care. Such a policy would also ensure that staff are equipped with the necessary skills to recognise and deal with any signs of symptoms associated with bullying, scapegoating, harassment or abuse.
I should also mention that new directions have been issued in relation to the recruitment and selection of staff for children's residential centres. Under these directions employers must obtain Garda clearance on all staff being considered for appointment to a children's residential centre. These directions have recently been extended to include the recruitment of staff to any area of the health services where they would have substantial access to children or vulnerable individuals.