Laws won't turn teachers into criminals, says minister

Strict new laws for reporting suspected cases of child abuse will not amount to the "criminalisation" of teachers, nurses and other State employees, according to Minister for Children Barry Andrews.

State employees who deal with children will be obliged to report cases of suspected child abuse to authorities under reforms to strengthen the child protection system.

The new system, while it could result in disciplinary action or loss of jobs, is not expected to lead to criminal proceedings against employees who fail to act on their suspicions.

The new measures form part of a 99-point plan for implementing the recommendations of the Ryan Report into institutional child abuse. The new system places national child protection guidelines - known as Children First - on a statutory footing.

The Children First guidelines mean employees of State-run or State-funded organisations will be legally obliged to report abuse.

Legislation may be drafted to allow for clauses written into the employment contracts of State sector professionals working with children, obliging them to contact authorities about concerns.

However, Minister Andrews said the new system, while obliging employees to report suspicions, did not amount to mandatory reporting, which can involve the "criminalisation" of those who fail to report abuse concerns. He said that some jurisdictions were moving away from mandatory reporting because it was 'cumbersome and inefficient'.

Employees in State-funded services must follow the Children First guidelines or risk losing public funding if they fail to report abuse concerns.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland has not raised any concerns about the new guidelines.

John White, general secretary of the union, said teachers knew how to deal with suspicious activity.

Mr White said: "Under the current guidelines for second level schools, teachers are required to report incidences or suspicions of child abuse to the designated liaison person within the school."