Vol. 488 No. 7
235 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Health and Children the members of the review committee established to examine child abuse guidelines, 1987 and 1995; and if he will have arrangements made to have a member of the public health nursing profession included in the review committee. [7187/98]
I have recently established a working group to review the child abuse guidelines with the following terms of reference:
In view of the implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991, changes in the management of health boards and the commitment of the Government to introduce mandatory reporting of child abuse to review
(i) the guidelines on procedures for the identification, investigation and management of child abuse and
(ii) the notification of suspected cases of child abuse between health boards and gardaí
and to prepare revised guidelines aimed at improving the identification, investigation and management of child abuse.
The membership of the group is as follows: chair — Maureen P. Lynott, director of provider affairs, BUPA Ireland Limited; Mary Bennett, chair, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; Olive Braiden, director, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre; Helen Buckley, lecturer, Department of Social Studies, Trinity College Dublin; Christina Carney, assistant general secretary, Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union; John Carr, general treasurer, Irish National Teachers Organisation; Bríd Clarke, programme manager, children and families, Eastern Health Board; Madeleine Clarke, chairperson, Children's Rights Alliance; Dr. Brian Coffey, general practitioner; Ger Crowley, director of child care services, Mid-Western Health Board; Mary Curran, superintendent public health nurse, North-Western Health Board; Michael Flanagan, divisional inspector, Department of Education and Science; Dr. David Lillis, paediatrician, University College Hospital Galway; Jimmy Martin, principal officer, Garda division, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Augusta McCabe, social work adviser, child care policy unit, Department of Health and Children; Dr. Kevin McCoy, chief inspector, Northern Ireland Social Services Inspectorate; Noel O'Sullivan, chief superintendent, An Garda Síochána; Bernie Price, head medical social worker, medical social work department, the Children's Hospital, Temple Street; and Frances Spillane, principal officer, child care policy unit, Department of Health and Children.
As the Deputy will note Ms Mary Curran who is a member of the working group is a superintendent public health nurse in the North-Western Health Board area.
