Sir, - Kathy Sheridan's recent article (The Irish Times, March 9th) about vetting those suitable to work with children raises some of the very serious questions about this issue which have implications for the protection of children in both parts of Ireland.
Following the Good Friday agreement, we have cross-border bodies, the North-South Ministerial Council and enhanced co-operation on a range of issues. Vetting arrangements is an area where there should be a high degree of political consensus, but it appears not to be a priority. Our current vetting arrangements on both sides of the Border represent the worst scenario possible and severely limit the ability to protect children.
In the Republic the inconsistencies associated with Garda vetting via limited criminal records leaves children vulnerable, a whole range of voluntary organisations exposed and those who use volunteers out of the loop. Relying on criminal convictions as a method of checking on individuals ignores the fact that many people who harm children are never prosecuted, for a variety of reasons.
In Northern Ireland a well-established system of vetting through the Department of Health's Pre-Employment Consultancy Service (PECS) has existed for many years. The department's register of those dismissed or demoted for harming children complements criminal records information on those who have been convicted.
Significantly, the Northern Ireland Assembly will shortly debate the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bill. This will place the Department's PECS Register on a statutory basis (in line with developments in the rest of the UK) and make vetting and referrals to the department mandatory for most organisations.
But there is no equivalent system in the Republic and it is not possible for organisations in the South to access information on individuals from Northern Ireland.
Given the increasing movement of personnel across the border we are left with a most unsatisfactory and dangerous situation. We need common systems and standards of vetting and while this is only one component in protecting children from unsuitable adults, it is a fundamental building block.
Barnados, ISPCC and NSPCC (NI) are committed to having the issue of vetting dealt with at the highest political level and we will campaign vigorously until this is achieved.
As Kathy Sheridan rightly points out, we are only too aware from past experience of the failure to deal with this issue. Children in both parts of this island deserve the highest levels of protection and we hope that all-Ireland vetting arrangement become a high political imperative and a reality in the very near future. - Yours, etc.,
PAUL GILLIGAN,
Chief Executive, ISPCC;
OWEN KEENAN,
Chief Executive,
Barnardos Ireland;
LYNDA WILSON,
Director of Children's Services,
Barnardos Northern Ireland;
IAN ELLIOTT,
Acting Director, NSPCC (NI);
North Derby Street,
Belfast 15.