‘Soft information’ exchange laws to come before Dáil

LAWS allowing the exchange of “soft information” such as unproven allegations or suspicions of child sex abuse are to be brought forward by the Government in the coming months.

Minister for Children, Barry Andrews, said yesterday that legislation is being prepared by the Department of Justice and will come before the Dáil in the next six months.

He said legal difficulties around the use of such soft evidence was the reason given by some bishops not to provide information required by the Health Service Executive (HSE) audit into child protection practices in the Catholic Church, published yesterday.