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Justice Minister Alan Shatter has today published the report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate

together with a document responding to the report’s recommendations and outlining the progress being made by the Government in tackling this issue.

The Minister stated:

I am very grateful to the Inspectorate for its analysis and recommendations, which are focused on improving the investigation of child sexual abuse and better protecting children. The development of an effective response to these recommendations is well underway and reflected in the measures set out in the response document which I am also publishing today. While the Inspectorate identified deficiencies at the time of its inspection, it also acknowledges that the Garda Síochána is addressing the issue of child sexual abuse as a top priority and that progress has been made in recent years. The Government and I are absolutely determined to learn from the mistakes of the past and to ensure that an effective response to child sexual abuse is in place, as part of an overall transformation of child welfare and protection systems.

While the inspection was under way An Garda Síochána issued a comprehensive policy on the investigation of sexual crime, crimes against children and child welfare.

In addition, a Sexual Crime Management Unit has been established, which assists Gardaí in the investigation of such crime, promotes best investigative practice and monitors a sample of investigations to ensure they are receiving appropriate attention.

Children & Youth Affairs Minister Frances Fitzgerald said:

I very much welcome the publication of the Garda Inspectorate Report and I want to acknowledge the good progress which is being made in strengthening cooperation between the HSE and An Garda Síochána as the principal bodies with statutory responsibility for child protection matters in Ireland.

Minister Fitzgerald has published revised Children First Guidance, the implementation of which is being overseen by an inter-departmental group including representatives of relevant Government Departments, the HSE and An Garda Síochána.

Work is also underway on a number of key legislative measures to support child protection:

• It is anticipated that the Criminal Justice (Withholding Information on Crimes against Children and Vulnerable Adults) Bill will be published during this Oireachtas session.
• Work is under way on the National Vetting Bureau Bill, which will provide a statutory basis for the existing Garda vetting procedures and provide for the use of “soft information” in vetting. It is anticipated that the Bill will be published in the first half of 2012.
• The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has received Government approval to put the Children First Guidance on a statutory basis, and her Department is working with the Attorney General’s office to advance this measure.

The Garda Síochána Inspectorate Report is available on the Department of Justice and Equality website www.justice.ie

Read the full press release here.