A HIGH COURT judge said yesterday that it must surely be accepted that local authorities another employers would do everything to ensure that child care workers were absolutely unblemished in their record on child abuse.
Mr Justice Barr was commenting during a case being taken by a man in his mid 40s against a Vocational Educational Committee and the Eastern Health Board.
The man is challenging a decision by the VEC not to allow him to continue a social studies course involving child care. The VEC acted after the EHB notified it of allegations of child abuse.
The man claims that unfair procedures were adopted by the VEC and that dropping him from the course prejudiced his constitutional rights. He had never had a chance to confront the unsubstantiated allegations.
The EHB claims it had a statutory duty and obligation to inform the VEC. The VEC contends that it took the action under its general regulations.
Yesterday, Mr Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, counsel for the man, said that his client wanted to stop the EHB from spreading untruths about him. He contended that the VEC did not observe fair procedures and he wanted his educational situation to be rectified. He was also seeking damages.
The judge said that it was common case that the man came back from England in the 1970s and formed a relationship with a woman who had three children in care. They then had children of their own. There had been a number of problems which bad given rise to complaints to the EHB.
Mr Phelan said that his client was trying to stop the EHB disseminating allegations against him that he abused his children. His client denied that he had ever abused young children.