The primary teachers' union, the INTO, has called on the Government parties urgently to implement their pre-election promise to introduce mandatory reporting of sex abuse allegations.
The INTO general secretary, Senator Joe O'Toole, said in a statement: "Unless the Government take early action to introduce mandatory 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."
Mr O'Toole stressed that mandatory reporting was "as important a protection to the professional as it is to the child. In all these cases there are three parties: the child victim, the alleged abuser and the professional to whom the disclosure has been made.
"All three have rights. 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. The professional has the right to legal protection in the decision to bring disclosures to the relevant authorities."
He noted that the investigation of child abuse was different in every health board area. "Persons against whom allegations are made are almost invariably and immediately treated as guilty and dangerous and often left careerless long before any legal hearing or intervention."
Mr O'Toole said legislation should make clear the type of disclosure which must be reported, by which professional groups and to whom; describe the procedures to be put in place; and provide for the necessary resources.