I am not aware of any group established in 1994 or any group currently in place to review the operation of guidelines for reporting child abuse with regard to children in State care.
It is assumed that the Deputy may be referring to the group established in 1994 to prepare guidelines on standards in children's residential centres in preparation for the introduction of the regulations on this issue. This group completed it work and the Child Care (Standards in Children's Residential Centres) Regulations 1996 and Guide to Good Practice in Children's Residential Centres were published in 1996. The recommendations of the report on the inquiry into the operation of Madonna House was published as part of the document. The group did not have any role relating to residential centres under the control of the Department of Education and Science.
Standards entitled "National Standards for Children's Residential Centres", developed by my Department and the social services inspectorate in conjunction with the health boards, were published in 2001 based on the relevant legislation and guidance and good practice. It is against these standards, which include standards on safeguarding and child protection, that the social services inspectorate and the registration and inspection units of the health boards inspect and form judgments about the quality of children's residential care services.