Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1334. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department applies a sanction to organisations that have a statutory responsibility under the Children First Act 2015 to conduct a risk assessment and to prepare a child protection statement and they fail to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15181/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Children First Act 2015 was fully commenced on 11 December 2017. The provisions commenced on that date include those relating to the obligations on organisations providing services to children to keep children safe from harm, to carry out risk assessments and to prepare and publish Child Safeguarding Statements.
Providers of relevant services to children were required to meet their statutory obligations [i.e. to undertake a risk assessment and to prepare and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement] within three months of the date of commencement, i.e. by 11th March 2018.
Sections 12 and 13 of the Children First Act make provision for the Child and Family Agency to establish and maintain a register of non-compliance for providers of relevant services who fail to provide a copy of the Child Safeguarding Statement to Tusla when requested to do so. Tusla has recently established a Child Safeguarding Compliance Unit and is currently developing a strategy to support implementation of this provision. As this is a new statutory obligation for many organisations, Tusla will focus on encouraging and supporting providers of relevant services to meet their statutory obligations and will endeavour only to place relevant service providers on the register where a supportive approach has proved unsuccessful.
