Firstly, I wish to reassure the Deputy that my Department takes child protection very seriously and considers that the protection and welfare of children is a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children. In this regard, any concern or allegation of a child protection nature received by staff in my Department is dealt with in accordance with the Department’s Procedures for responding to Child Protection Concerns which come to the attention of staff employed by the Department of Education.
My Department does not make any judgment on the concerns which comes to its attention and ensures that the details of the concern reported to the Department, including reports which relate to historical abuse, are immediately passed on to the relevant authorities, i.e. Tusla-the Child and Family Agency, An Garda Síochána and/or the school authorities as appropriate. My Department is aware of the matter raised in the media article provided by the Deputy. My Department has no powers to investigate child protection concerns.
When contacted by individuals in relation to historical abuse, as well as reporting the details to the authorities in line with the Department’s procedures, my Department provides details of counselling supports available. As part of the State's response to individuals experiencing distress as a result of childhood sexual abuse, a free National Counselling Service was set up which is run by the HSE and has been operating since 2000. Full details are available on
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/national-counselling-service/
In addition, my Department recently announced a revised ex gratia scheme to provide those, who had, by 1 July 2021, issued legal proceedings against the State in respect of day school sexual abuse with an opportunity to apply for an ex gratia payment. Details of the revised scheme are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/90a42-revised-ex-gratia-scheme/
It is important to note that arrangements for child protection in schools have been extensively revised and extended. In recent years, for example, the enactment of the Children First Act in 2015 led to the issue of revised Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-primary Schools in 2017, with an extensive programme of professional development for teachers and school leaders. A fundamental principle of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 is that all schools must keep pupils/students safe from harm while attending the school or while participating in school activities.
