Proposals to establish a sex offenders register which could run checks on teachers and others working with young people are being examined by the North-South Ministerial Council on Education.
The council has also secured an EU grant of €5 million to support cross-Border school and youth co-operation. Schools and other bodies will be asked shortly to submit proposals for funding assistance.
The initiatives were announced in Dublin yesterday at the first council meeting since the North's Executive was re-established. It was jointly chaired by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, and his northern counterpart, Mr Martin McGuinness.
On child protection, officials from both sides agreed there was a "need to develop a confidential mechanism for the registration of teachers and other workers in education who are deemed unsafe to work with children and young people". Mr McGuinness stressed that protection of children had to be balanced by the need to respect the human and civil rights of citizens. Dr Woods said North and South would work together to help frame "appropriate legislation".
Despite the suspension of the executive, officials from both sides have been working on a plethora of reports and studies during more than 40 separate meetings. At their meeting, both Ministers reviewed work on a range of issues including cross-Border schools and teacher exchanges, special education, literacy issues and pupil attendance.