Child carer checks too lax, warns ISPCC

IRELAND will become a haven for paedophiles because of poor clearance procedures for child workers as British regulations are set to be tightened, the Government was warned last night.

The stark message came from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) after the publication in Britain of an inquiry report into how child killer Ian Huntley got a job as a school caretaker.

Despite being quizzed about alleged rapes and indecent assaults, he secured employment at the Soham school where his victims Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were pupils.

Efforts to extend garda clearance checks for all people working with children or vulnerable adults commenced with the establishment of an expert group in late 2002, soon after the Soham tragedy. The group of senior gardaí and officials from the departments of health, justice and education presented its report to Justice Minister Michael McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy in March but no Government proposals have yet been published.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said last night that work is well advanced on the early implementation of the recommendations of the working group.

ISPCC chief executive Paul Gilligan said vetting systems in Britain are likely to be improved as a result of the Soham inquiry findings. The report recommends a registration system for people working with children.

“Such developments will have implications for Irish child protection systems, presenting the possibility that without similar developments, Ireland will be considered a safe haven for those wishing to access and hurt children,” he said.

The Garda Central Vetting Unit processes more than 120,000 background checks every year on employees beginning work in an area with unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults.

Fine Gael proposed a vetting system last year for staff of schools, health boards, charities, sports clubs and youth organisations.

“The Government rejected our motion because it claimed it was working on its own proposals. But this legislation hasn’t been seen and the Government has again failed to prioritise child safety in any real way,” FG education spokesperson Olwyn Enright said.