Vol. 563 No. 6
66 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science the action which has been taken in relation to the abuse case of a person (details supplied) following his predecessor's admission that his Department's handling of the case was seriously lacking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8550/03]
The Deputy will be aware that the teacher in question has been convicted by the courts in relation to charges of sexual abuse. Allegations in relation to this teacher are also the subject of civil proceedings which are ongoing. The Deputy will appreciate that, in the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this specific case.
In 2002, my Department issued revised guidelines to all primary schools. These guidelines are based on the national guidelines, Children First, which were issued by the Department of Health and Children in September 1999, but have been specifically developed with the primary school setting in mind. The guidelines are designed to assist, give direction and guidance to all school management authorities and school personnel in dealing with allegations or suspicions of child abuse.
