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Minister Frances Fitzgerald TD welcomes publication today of the Summary of the Findings of the Apostolic Visitation in Ireland.

The Minister said that "The lessons of the past are that we can never assume children are being protected. There must be robust safeguarding arrangements within all organisations working with children, backed up by a strong statutory requirement to report concerns. The Catholic Church must continue to discharge its safeguarding responsibilities, including through the important work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. The Government, for its part, is determined that the law will unambiguously demand that the protection of children is the paramount concern for all organisations engaged with young people."

The Minister said: "I am extremely aware of the ongoing pain and trauma for victims of abuse. The report states that innocent young people were abused by clerics and Religious to whose care they had been entrusted, while those who should have exercised vigilance often failed to do so effectively. This wrong can never be put right. However, always placing the protection of children above all other considerations is the most important demonstration step which must be taken."

The Minister notes the report’s verification that the norms of the Church’s ‘Safeguarding Children’ child protection policy document are being followed. The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) is engaged in the audit of the implementation of the ‘Safeguarding Children’ guidelines within the Catholic Church. The Minister strongly welcomes the Vatican’s endorsement of the work being undertaken by the NBSCCC and the recommendation that this audit process be conducted in a prompt manner. The Minster also welcomes the report’s recommendation that the National Board be adequately resourced and funded to do its work.

The Minister is also awaiting the presentation to her by the HSE, the body with statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, of the report of its audit into Catholic Church child protection policies and procedures. This report is currently being finalised by the HSE and is expected in the coming weeks. The CEO of the NBSCCC is working closely with the HSE’s National Director for Children and Family Services on Church child protection matters.

The Minister notes the assurances of the Archbishops of the visited Archdioceses that all newly-discovered cases of abuse are promptly brought before the civil authorities. This is in line with the Children First national child protection guidance, which applies to all organisations working with children in Ireland, including religious organisations. There is also an obligation under the Children Firstguidance to bring knowledge of previous abuse to the attention of the relevant authorities, where there has been a failure to do so in the past.

The Minister said that in order to ensure there is no doubt as to the responsibilities of every organisation and individual to protect children and report concerns regarding abuse, her Department is finalising legislation to place the Children First national guidance on a statutory footing. Heads of a Bill for this purpose are being finalised in association with the Office of the Attorney General and will be submitted shortly to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children.