Child protection measures still not adequate, D?il told

The abuse of children such as that highlighted in Ferns could happen again because proper child protections systems are still not in place, the D?il was told today.

Youth clubs, dance clubs, scouting groups, cannot avail of the vetting procedure. When will it become available?

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said the Government had "not acted and responded in the way that it should" to bring into existence proper Garda vetting procedures and the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

The report of the inquiry into clerical sex abuse in Ferns over nearly 40 years, which was published yesterday, strongly criticised the Catholic Church's handling of the cases, particularly by the former bishops of Ferns, Donal Herlihy and Brendan Comiskey.

The Government indicated last night that it was intending to make it a criminal offence for someone to fail to protect children against child abuse risks.

But speaking in the Dail this morning, Mr Sargent said: "When it comes to the register of people considered unsafe to work with children. That is still languishing on promised legislation.

Sean Fortune in 1987. In two cases families claimed that young people had killed themselves because of his abuse
Even though the Assembly in the North was not up and running, Mr Sargent pointed out: "The PSNI have structures in place and a have a handbook, a manual, for people who come to them reporting incidents of paedophilia or somebody unsafe to work with children being in the area.

He asked Mr Ahern: "Are you going to now make up for a lot of lost time and are you going to put in place, like is in existence in the North, the type of vetting procedure which can tell a person whether there is a conviction or a suspicion of an individual.

"In the South only the health boards and a limited number of organisations, such as Bernardos, can avail of this.

"Youth clubs, dance clubs, scouting groups, cannot avail of the vetting procedure. When will it become available?

"If you're running a creche and want to vet staff and call up yhe garda? they will say sorry they don't have the resources, Taoiseach.

"This is a matter of grave urgency, and this report makes it all the more stark how the Government have not acted and responded in the way that it should and that we should have the mandatory...reporting of sex abuse allegations and we should have the resources there so people can be vetted.

"At the moment that is not in existence and this could happen all again," Mr Sargent added.

In response, Mr Ahern said: "The enactment of the Sex Offenders act of 2001, which provides for the monitoring of convicted sex offenders, is on the statute book for over four years.

"We established the Garda central vetting unit over 3 1/2 years ago to ensure that those working with children are screened. That unit was doubled recently."

Mr Ahern also pointed out that an Ombudsman for children had been established.

"Most of what the deputy is raising are already on the statute books," Mr Ahern said to which Mr Sargent responded: "The Gardai don't have the resources".

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said last night he would introduce amendments to the current Criminal Justice Bill to reflect one of the key recommendations in the report, advising that a law on "reckless endangerment" should be considered.

The report which details the allegations made by more than 100 individuals against 21 priests over 40 years, was ordered by the Minister for Health Micheal Martin in 2003 following widespread publicity in relation to allegations of clerical abuse in the diocese.

The report has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions by the Minister of State for Children, Brian Lenihan. The Taoiseach promised yesterday that the Government would take immediate action to implement its recommendations.

? The Irish Times/ireland.com