SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES:THREE CATHOLIC dioceses in Ireland still do not have a single parish safeguarding representative some 14 years after the church first introduced its guidelines on child protection.
This contrasts starkly with the 23 other Catholic dioceses where between 95 and 100 per cent of all parishes in each diocese has such a representative.
The three dioceses are Killala in Mayo, where Dr John Fleming has been bishop since 2002, Clonfert in east Galway, where Dr John Kirby has been bishop since 1988, and Ossory in Leinster where Dr Séamus Freeman has been bishop since 2007.
By contrast, every single parish in the dioceses of Raphoe, Derry, Down and Connor, Armagh, Dromore, Clogher, Kilmore, Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Meath, Tuam, Galway, Killaloe Limerick, Cloyne, Cashel and Emly, Waterford and Lismore, and Ferns has at least one parish safeguarding representative. In Dublin and in Cork and Ross, 99 per cent of parishes have such a representative while in Kerry, the figure is 98 per cent.
In Achonry it is 96 per cent, while it is 95 per cent in Elphin.
In all, a survey by the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) last month, found that 1,230 of Ireland’s 1,365 Catholic parishes have at least one trained safeguarding representative in position. It also found that many parishes have two or more such representatives, all volunteers.
A total of 2,356 individuals are known to have undergone training and to be performing this function within parishes. The report also said that “complete coverage of all parishes should be achieved within the coming months”.
Of the role of the parish safeguarding representative, the report says: “These people could be the early warning system for the safeguarding services alerting the statutory authorities, the diocesan designated person/delegate . . . to any concerns identified at a parish level”.
It said the increase in the number of referrals received this year “pays testimony to the effectiveness of the safeguarding structure in the church of which the role of the parish safeguarding representative is an essential part”.
A spokesman for the Catholic bishops said yesterday that in Clonfert diocese, “every priest in the diocese has undertaken the official HSE child-protection training programme”.
In Killala, “parish safeguarding representatives have been nominated while diocesan safeguarding trainers (who have already been trained by the HSE) are currently preparing a training programme specifically for these parish representatives”.
Also, the spokesman added, “all priests, sacristans, choirs, youth groups etc – indeed all individuals at parish level who have contact with children under the auspices of the diocese – have already participated in the Children First training provided by the HSE”.
In Ossory diocese, Dr Freeman has appointed Éilís Brophy as diocesan safeguarding children training co-ordinator, on a two-year contract. It is envisaged that by May 2011, all clergy and all staff/ volunteers in the 42 parishes of the diocese will have received training in safeguarding children best practice.
