The primary teachers' union, the INTO, has accused the two Government parties of deserting their pre-election positions of supporting the mandatory reporting of child sex abuse.
"Unless the Government takes early action to introduce mandat ory reporting there will be another generation of silent child sufferers left to cope for themselves, and teachers and other professionals dealing with children will continue to be without protection in dealing with disclosures and information about children who are being abused," the union's general secretary, Sen Joe O'Toole, said. Mr O'Toole stressed that in child abuse cases there were three parties, all of whom had rights and needed legislative protection. "The child has the right to legal protection and redress and sympathetic counselling.
"The alleged abuser has the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty and have the protection of the principles of natural justice.
"The professional has the right to legal protection in the decision to bring disclosures to the relevant authorities," Mr O'Toole said.
"Professionals such as teachers who receive disclosures from pupils currently have to use their unsupported judgement to make a decision which may often result in the break-up of a family or the imprisonment of a neighbour. Such decisions can cause extraordinary anguish; they also leave the teacher open to charges of libel and ostracisation in a local community."
Mr O'Toole said mandatory reporting legislation should be carefully drafted to take account of cases where, for example, adults might want counselling but not action taken against an elderly family member.