Aindrias Moynihan
Question:29. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Elliott report into an organisation (details supplied) will be available for review. [18849/18]
View answerTuesday, 1 May 2018
Questions (29, 32)
Seán Sherlock
Question:32. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to restore State funding to an organisation (details supplied). [18784/18]
View answerOral answers (6 contributions)
My question originates from scouting at a grassroots level and the 40,000 scouts, leaders, parents and Garda-vetted volunteers who want to see safe scouting in their communities. The Elliott report will form a significant part of the Minister's decision in terms of what will happen in scouting. When will this report be available and will it be published?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 32 together.
I have not yet received a copy of the Elliott report into the handling of allegations involving the alleged serious sexual assault by an adult volunteer. Scouting Ireland commissioned Mr. Ian Elliott to carry out a review into the organisation’s handling of this allegation of a serious sexual assault on an adult volunteer by another adult volunteer.
In 2017, Scouting Ireland engaged Mr. Ian Elliott to conduct a review of its child safeguarding-protection policies and procedures. An interim report was produced in October 2017 and a final report was produced in January 2018, both of which were subsequently submitted to my Department in March 2018. In view of the information available to me relating to the governance arrangements within Scouting Ireland, I decided to withhold the drawdown of further funding to the organisation under the youth service grant scheme until I am satisfied that the organisation's governance standards are up to the required level.
The report mentioned by the Deputy is not yet completed. Following on from the report on child protection matters, Scouting Ireland engaged a barrister to conduct a full investigation into the allegation, particularly with regard to how the matter was handled by senior volunteers. I will receive both reports once the investigation is completed.
As I said in response to a previous question, I met Scouting Ireland on 19 April and I was informed of the organisation's plan to reform the governance of the organisation and to put new structures in place. The organisation also confirmed its commitment to implement the recommendations relating to safeguarding and to carry out a full review of historic cases. Scouting Ireland is implementing the recommendations of the first report in terms of safeguarding and it is awaiting the second report. Both reports will be submitted to me.
There are a number of steps to be taken before I can be assured that Scouting Ireland has the proper governance arrangements in place to allow me to restore funding.
I note that the Minister has met the board of Scouting Ireland and that she has not yet received the report. Does she believe the board of Scouting Ireland will be able to implement the necessary changes before next June and how confident is she in the board? Also, does she have a contingency plan in the event of the board not being able to deliver the necessary changes such that she may be left with no options at the end of June?
On the timeframe, as I stated in my earlier response I have met the board of Scouting Ireland. We had a strong and robust conversation. I put a number of questions to the board and it indicated the actions that it proposes to implement to reform the governance of the organisation. The drawdown which the organisation has will continue to resource it. The board also indicated to me that it has reserves. The timeframe within which actions are implemented in order that I am provided with assurances that governance is appropriate and of the standard required of an organisation in receipt of public moneys is a matter for the board.
I thank the Minister for the update. How confident is she that the board will be able to implement the necessary changes and, in the event that it does not do so, what contingency does she have in place? Has she set a timeframe within which the process of implementing the changes must be up and running or is she allowing the board to move at a pace which it deems fit? Has the Minister set a deadline for completion of the report, is she expecting receipt of same over the next few days or weeks, and will she publish it when it becomes available to her? How confident is the Minister that the board can deliver on the changes required?
In light of the conversation I had with the board, I believe it is honest and that its ambition and intention is to make the necessary changes. I know from its description of the processes that the putting in place of the necessary reforms is dependent on a number of factors and people. As the Deputy is aware, subsequent to my meeting with the board, a number of board members agreed to stand aside until such time as the process of investigation is completed. I believe this demonstrates the understanding of the board of the seriousness of this matter from my perspective. The board knows that it needs to get this right and I agree that the stepping aside of the chief scout and others was the right thing to do.
On contingency plans, the organisation has moneys available to enable it to continue operating. My Department is not the only Department from which it receives funding. As I said, the board indicated to me that it has reserves. It is the responsibility of the board to ensure that funding and resources are made available to Scouting Ireland to enable it to carry out its great work.