Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
391. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide details of the Tusla working group on institutional and organisational abuse; the date of its establishment; who sits on the working group; how often it meets; what its remit is; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31785/23]
View answerThis working group was set up as a joint action by the Department and Tusla following publication of Dr. Shannon’s review of St. John Ambulance Ireland in March 2023. This working group is not specifically about child sexual exploitation as it relates to issues within organisations and institutions regarding governance and safeguarding and any potential grooming of children by members of those organisations. However the joint working group, in light of UCD's recent research, will review the suspected sexual exploitation of children in residential units by any potential outside influences and review the training of staff around indicators of grooming behaviours and responses to same.
