Paul McGrath
Question:188 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the procedures in place within his Department to respond to complaints of sexual abuse by teachers on their pupils. [26258/98]
Written Answers - Child Abuse.
Paul McGrath
Question:189 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will outline the details of reports of sexual abuse made against the former principal of a primary school (details supplied) and reported to his Department; the date of these allegations; the number of pupils involved; if these reports were investigated by his Department; if so, the action, if any, taken by his Department as a result of these investigations; if these reports were forwarded to the relevant Garda authorities or the local health board at that time; the counselling, if any, his Department provided for the pupils concerned; the action, if any, his Department took to ensure that this teacher could not take up a teaching position or any position dealing with children subsequent to that investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter in view of the recent conviction in the courts of this teacher on charges of sexual assault on young boys. [26259/98]
Brian O'Shea
Question:191 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the recent court conviction of a former teacher at a school (details supplied) in County Offaly on charges of indecent assault; the complaints, if any, his Department received in relation to this incident; if so, when they were received; the action, if any, taken as a result of these complaints; the arrangements, if any, in place to provide support and counselling for the victims in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26266/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 188, 189 and 191 together.
Guidelines which were issued by my Department to primary schools in 1991 and to second level schools in 1992 set out the procedures to be followed in dealing with allegations or suspicions of child abuse. The guidelines emphasised the obligation on school authorities to ensure that allegations or suspicions are reported to the health authorities.
The procedures to be followed within my Department where an allegation of abuse is received are set out in an internal instruction which was issued in 1995. Where an allegation relates to a teacher or other member of staff of a school, the procedure requires that the appropriate school authorities be notified by the Department. The response of the school is then monitored by an internal committee of the Department which is chaired by an assistant secretary. Where the allegation is the subject of a Garda investigation, my Department would expect school authorities to suspend the teacher in question pending the outcome of the enquiry. In such cases, my Department continues to pay the teacher's salary and also the cost of the substitute teacher.
As I indicated in my reply to Deputy Bruton's priority question yesterday, a letter of complaint relating to the case referred to by the Deputies was received by the Department in 1982. This letter referred to the removal of a primary teacher from his position as principal of a primary school as a result of allegations of abuse of boys in his classes in the period 1965 to 1970. There was no reference in the letter to the number of pupils involved. The letter also indicated that the author had been in touch with the authorities of the secondary school in which the former principal was then teaching.
As I stated yesterday, I regard as seriously lacking the manner in which the Department responded to this complaint and there can be absolutely no excuse by reference to the standards of the time. The Department's papers on the matter were not forwarded to the health board or the Garda at that time, nor was any action taken in relation to any future employment of the teacher. The Department's papers were, of course, made available to the Garda at their request during the course of their investigation earlier this year.
At present a working party representative of the education partners is examining the existing guidelines to ensure that they represent a comprehensive and fully updated response on this issue. In addition, officials of my Department have liaised with a working group in the Department of Health and Children which is reviewing child abuse guidelines, and it is expected that updated guidelines will be issued to schools early in 1999. These will place an obligation on school authorities to inform the Garda, the health boards and the Department, and will lay down strict guidelines relating to their duty of care.
Furthermore, it is envisaged that the new Teaching Council Bill will provide for clear procedures relating to the de-registration of any teacher who is convicted of child abuse offences. I would also like to emphasise the value of preventative strategies in combating the evil of child abuse, and in this context initiatives such as the Stay Safe programme will continue to play a critical role in promoting an awareness among pupils of inappropriate behaviour on the part of figures in authority.