Barnardos seeks vetting of staff at third-level institutions

The children's charity Barnardos is calling for the immediate vetting of some staff at third level institutions.

The call follows the revelation that the head of the Centre for Child and Youth Care Learning at Athlone Institute of Technology was a convicted sex offender.

Forty-year-old Dr Niall McElwee resigned from his job last week after admitting to his bosses that he had been convicted of a sexual offence against a teenage girl in Amsterdam in 2005.

Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay says the incident highlights the need for proper vetting of staff at third-level institutions who are in posts affecting young people.