IRELAND will use its EU presidency to fight organised paedophilia worldwide, the Minister of State with responsibility for children Mr Austin Currie has pledged.
The Minister also said an ombudsman for children might be set up in Ireland.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 11th Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, Mr Currie said the international community had to respond in a co ordinated way to paedophilia.
The need for such action has been evident for some time. However, it has been highlighted in the starkest manner imaginable by the appalling events that have been uncovered in Belgium, this week, the Minister said in a speech which covered all areas of child care in Ireland.
He offered his sympathies on behalf of the Government and the Irish people to the people of Belgium.
The international community must respond, in a co ordinated way to the evil that is organised paedophilia. We need to keep this at the top of the agenda and I will do my best to do this during Ireland's EU Presidency."
Mr Currie also said Ireland was moving away from the idea that problems could be solved by a single aim of Government to a realisation that the processes could span the remit of several Government Departments and agencies.
In the coming years I expect to see child care services, not as a separate entity in themselves but as an integral part of a consistent and coherent overall strategy towards children.
Ireland had come through, a traumatic time in dealing with child abuse. We found that the supports and protection we offer children fall far short of our ideals. However, we have taken on board many of the hard lessons, learned, in recent year, the Minister said, adding that this was reflected in a determination to make real improvements.
A number of initiatives were being considered to build and extend this strategic approach based on the rights of the child. Among them is the establishment of a National Children's Council to undertake research necessary to underpin a coherent child policy and provide a structured forum where the views of the non governmental organisations could be taken into account.
He said a Bill which, would radically reform, the juvenile justice system, bringing childcare services into the 21st century, was in the final stages.
Where feasible, it would divert first time and non serious child offenders from inclusion in the criminal justice system.
It would also deal with children guilty of serious offences that had to be brought through the court, through the imposition of community sanctions.
It would also work for the reintegration of child offenders into the community in cases where the court considered it had no option but to order the detention of such a child.