Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
282. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 7 March 2017, the regulations and guidelines in place for teenage international students arriving here who live with a host family and attend secondary schools for an academic term or complete school year without the presence of their parents or legal guardians within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13214/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not have a role in relation to organisations or agencies that arrange for international students to be placed with host families for the duration of their stay in the State. Accordingly, any child protection arrangements and Garda vetting requirements in respect of these organisations or agencies, including any child protection measures or requirements for Garda vetting in respect of the host families themselves, are primarily a matter for the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs and Justice and Equality respectively.
With regard to the attendance of these students in schools, my Department’s child protection procedures apply to all recognised primary and post-primary schools and also apply to all students attending such schools regardless of the nationality or status of the students concerned. Garda vetting arrangements for the schools sector have been in place since 2006 and currently operate on a statutory basis with the commencement, last year, of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, by the Minister for Justice and Equality. This Act is an important part of the Government’s suite of legislation to ensure that there are appropriate legal protections for children or vulnerable persons.
