I have the name of Deputy McNamara contributing for the Independent Group, but I take it Deputy Pringle is speaking.

It has been nearly a year since the publication of the damning report into St. John Ambulance, which included findings such as the following. The organisation’s structure and culture left the organisation vulnerable to grooming and sexual abuse of children within the organisational context. The hierarchical structure facilitated predatory behaviour within the organisation in the past. There was a significant degree of organisational awareness of serious threats to children, with the organisation failing to undertake any meaningful investigation into known or suspected threats to children prior to 2000. These are just some of the many shocking findings in the 333-page report.

Unfortunately, for survivors, this report was far from shocking and I take the opportunity to commend survivors on their tireless work and bravery. The fact that they were forced to experience such abuse as children is horrific, but the way they were treated by St. John Ambulance following this is truly appalling. The organisation completely failed survivors first by failing to protect them and then by turning a blind eye, in some cases even accusing survivors of lying. It has only continued to fail them since. The lengthy process that survivors had to go through to ensure that this report was completed was unacceptable. Not only that, but once completed they had to fight to actually get it published. It was only published after daily protests outside the headquarters of St. John Ambulance.

This was a disgraceful way to treat abuse survivors and the lack of respect and care shown by St. John Ambulance should be noted. It is clear that this is not a case of failures by the organisation 20 years ago, this is a case of consistent and repeated failures by the organisation, as recently as last year.

As the Minister will know, the report made a series of recommendations, one of which was the employment of a full-time safeguarding officer, independent of St. John Ambulance. However, over a year after the organisation was given these recommendations, this has yet to be implemented, with the organisation now saying that it does not have the funding to employ a safeguarding officer. It is extremely disappointing that this has not been a priority for the organisation. Nothing should be more important to St. John Ambulance than ensuring sufficient child protection, especially in light of its many failures, spanning decades.

I know that the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, said last week that the Government will make a contribution for the first year towards the cost of the safeguarding officer role and link that to an agreement with the organisation through a service level agreement. Can the Minister justify and outline the rationale for the payment of the role of safeguarding officer in St. John Ambulance and explain if this will be a mechanism available to other organisations in financial distress?

I thank the Deputy for raising this extremely important matter. We are all aware of the need to respect the voice of survivors and respond to the suffering and abuse that many have endured.

I know the Deputy has been raising this issue for some time and I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is very aware of its importance. His Department is working to make a difference to it.

On the particular point the Deputy put to me regarding the role of a child protection officer, the reason the role will be provided and funded by the Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is we believe it is an important element in securing the continued safety of those working in that organisation or using its services. This will play an important role in safeguarding young people in the organisation. The Minister and Government believe it is an intervention we have to make and have to make quickly. It would also put in place an accountability relationship between the Department and St. John Ambulance through a service level agreement to give confidence the office is being used in the way we want.

To respond to the Deputy's question directly, it is because we believe it is the kind of change needed to help the Government and those involved in running St. John Ambulance to better protect and ensure the safety of young people in the organisation.

It is completely unacceptable that St. John Ambulance sat on these recommendations for a year, knowing it did not have the cash and, ultimately, putting more children within the organisation at risk. As well as this, the board of the organisation has largely remained the same, with the exception of someone who joined just before Christmas.

It seems that St. John Ambulance is not taking the recommendations of this extremely damning report into the organisation seriously enough. It is a major slap in the face for survivors of abuse that the organisation is now receiving €100,000 from the Government after sitting on its hands for over a year, while survivors received nothing but a few numbers to call if they were feeling suicidal.

Why has the organisation been allowed to repeatedly disrespect victims and fail to ensure adequate protection for the young people who continue to work there? What about the victims and survivors of the abuse? Who has the responsibility towards them? Should the Department not be in contact with them to let them know what is happening?

The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has indicated his concern regarding the delay in the appointment of the person into that role. He and the Government believe an important intervention is needed to respond back to the issues of public concern the Deputy referred to. The Shannon report into those issues was driven and supported by the Minister after he met survivors and had the kinds of issues the Deputy referred to raised with him. I understand the Minister met with survivors as recently as ten days ago to hear their views and voice on this deeply important issue. He and the Government are committed to putting in place this role and the service level agreement to ensure the critical issues we have learned so much about in our country in recent years and the related risks are not in front of us and this office and role can make a difference to us. The Minister's officials are in contact with the survivors and stakeholders in the issue and will engage regularly to get this role in place and safeguard against the risks the Deputy referred to.