The continued delay in the publication of the Child Protection Bill one year after it was described as “urgent legislation” had “very serious implications” for child protection, the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland has said.
One year ago yesterday, the first interim report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children’s Rights recommended that the vetting of all those working with children should be a statutory obligation.
Legal director of the rape crisis network Caroline Counihan said “vetting and soft information legislation has been urgently required in Ireland as a fundamental part of our child protection practices”.