Call for mandatory vetting of youth workers

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) has demanded that Garda vetting be made mandatory for all staff and volunteers working with children.

Speaking at a seminar on the Youth Work Sector in Dublin today, the director of the NYCI, Mary Cunningham, said the introduction of extensive history checks of people who have substantial unsupervised access to children would be a "fundamental step" towards protecting our young people.

She said the NYCI wanted increased resources for the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) in Thurles, Co Tipperary to implement vetting effectively.

Minister for Children Brian Lenihan announced earlier this year that vetting of people working with children is to be further extended next year. Those to be checked will include workers in private hospitals, residential childcare centres, agencies working with the homeless, local community initiatives, arts organisations and private tuition centres and organisations.

From September 1st last, any organisation working with children can apply to the GCVU for backgrounds check on new staff.

In her opening address today, Ms Cunningham warned against complacency when it came to children's safety.

"The relationship of trust we have with the young people, their parents and our fellow workers is a privileged one," she said. "Vetting enhances and supports this relationship."

She also called for greater cross-Border co-operation in legislation and policy relating to child protection. "Those intending to harm children and young people don't recognise borders, and those charged with responsibility for safeguarding children and young people mustn't either," Ms Cunningham added.

In Northern Ireland, any person on the Disqualification from Working with Children List is prohibited by law from working with children. Any organisation working with children that is found to have recruited or offered a job to someone on this list is in breach of the law post.

"We have no such list, and no provision for the sharing of soft information in the Republic of Ireland," Ms Cunningham told the seminar.