Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2024
185. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education if any persons who were reported in the scoping inquiry on historical sexual abuse in schools are still teachers, or in any paid employment, either as a staff member or elsewhere in proximity to the education of children. [39814/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders was a non-statutory process and did not have statutory investigative powers. It has reported what it has been told by each person, organisation or agency that it contacted with requests for information and it did not make findings of fact based on that information.
As a non-statutory Inquiry, it did not have powers to investigate individual allegations of abuse. Under its terms of reference, the Scoping Inquiry was not tasked with investigating or making findings of fact about whether or not abuse occurred or to make findings in respect of individual persons, religious orders or schools.
Cases of abuse that were brought to the attention of the Scoping Inquiry in the Survivor Engagement process were referred to Tusla and to An Garda Síochána for further review and follow-up where necessary, as those are the agencies with the necessary powers to assess whether there is any risk to children now and to carry out criminal investigations.
