Tough vetting urged to protect children from abuse

THE vetting of adults who work with children must be extended to include people who work in a voluntary capacity to protect youngsters from paedophiles, it was claimed yesterday.

Fine Gael deputy health and children spokesperson Dan Neville said the Government must introduce statutory vetting procedures for adults working with children in community and voluntary settings as a matter of urgency.

“The Minister for Health and Children must immediately extend the statutory vetting system for persons wishing to work with children to include persons working with children in the community.

“Children are in grave danger from paedophile predators who use these areas to get close to children,” he said.

“There are no statutory vetting procedures for anyone wishing to work in a voluntary capacity with children.”

Mr Neville said that since September 2001 convicted sex offenders were required to notify the Garda of their names and addresses, and there were now 800 people on the offenders register.

“The minister has informed me, in the Dáil, that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda Siochana are in discussions to seek ways of extending the procedures in the child care area to cover, for example, community workers, part-time employees and those working in a voluntary capacity,” he said.

Fine Gael had published detailed vetting proposals but they had been voted against by the Government when the Private Members Motion came before the Dáil, Mr Neville said.

“The protection of children who may be vulnerable to paedophiles in the community is too important to wait.”