Minister for Children Brendan Smith has ordered an urgent investigation after it emerged that a Garda who was on the 2004 Netherlands trip during which lecturer Dr Niall McElwee indecently assaulted two young women reported it to the authorities here on his return.
The Garda press office said today the member in question was not involved in the incident in Amsterdam, but that he had told the authorities here of the incident on his return.
In a statement this evening, Mr Smith he had ordered an the Health Service Executive (HSE) to carry out an investigation and to report to him urgently.
Dr McElwee resigned from Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) last week as a result of the incident at a hotel in June 2004 that involved US tourists age 15 to 18.
Garda statement
He was convicted in September 2005 of two counts of attempted indecent assault. According to court documents, he propositioned one woman for sexual favours and got into bed semi-naked with another.
The Garda statement said: "In June, 2004, a visit was undertaken to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in relation to addiction & treatment of illicit drugs. The visit was commissioned and funded by the Midland Health Board under the auspices of the Regional Drugs Task Force.
"A Garda sergeant was one of those nominated accompanied by a representative from the Regional Drugs Task Force (MHB). During the course of the visit, an incident occurred involving allegations of sexual assault against one of the party (not the Garda sergeant) resulting in his arrest.
"The Garda sergeant was not present when the incident took place and was advised of the incident and arrest some hours later by local police. The Garda sergeant assisted the local police in whatever way he could," the statement added.
"Garda authorities were advised of the incident and on his return, the member of An Garda Siochána met with a representative of the Midland Health Board and informed him of the details concerning the incident."
Dr McElwee is the co-author of 14 books on child and youth care themes and the founding editor of the Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies.
In 2004, he published an alarming report about the extent of heroin abuse in the midlands. The incident in Amsterdam happened while he was doing research into that project.
In 2005 he gave evidence on suicide to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children.
AIT said it had no knowledge of the incident utnil last Tuesday. A statement said: "Athlone Institute of Technology can categorically state, to its knowledge, that no information regarding Dr McElwee's convictions was ever made known to any senior officer of the executive of the Institute, formally or informally."
AIT said once it was made aware of Dr McElwee's conviction, the implications of this disclosure were discussed with him, as a result of which he resigned.
"This course of action would have been followed as soon as the information was made known, whenever this occurred. It is of course very regrettable that it did not become known to the Institute at an earlier stage."
The institute said Dr McElwee was subject to all normal "academic reference checks" on appointment. "No complaints of this nature regarding Dr McElwee's behaviour were ever received from students," it added.
"Following disclosures from a member of An Garda Siochana that he informed the then Midland Health Board about the incident concerning Mr Niall McElwee, the Minister for Children Brendan Smith has asked the HSE to investigate the matter and to report to him urgently," a statement from the Minister's office said.
In a separate statement, Waterford Institute of Technology, where Dr McElwee worked as a lecturer for nine years, said an issue "surrounding the appropriateness or otherwise" of lecture material being used by Dr McElwee was raised by a member of staff with senior management at the Institute in 1999.
Dr McElwee worked at WIT from 1992 to July 2001.
"This staff member reported that students were concerned at the nature of the material involved. A thorough review of the material was immediately instigated and this took account of both internal and external analyses."
"While there was considerable supportive correspondence presented for the continued use of the material, a decision was taken which deemed it inappropriate. Dr McElwee was instructed to immediately discontinue its use which he did.
"No other complaints were received from students in relation to Dr McElwee's conduct," the statement said.
It added that the institute was "not aware of the names of professional and character referees provided by Dr McElwee in support of his application for appointment at Athlone Institute of Technology".
In a single-line statement this evening, the HSE Midland Area said: "The HSE is looking into all the circumstances surrounding the issue in question."