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Seanad
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

FAI safeguarding standards

Summary

Senator Rabbitte criticises the FAI for attending an Oireachtas safeguarding discussion without its safeguarding officer and insists safeguarding is essential.

I am raising an issue of safeguarding. It is something that comes up regularly in the House and Senator Stephenson has referenced it in the context of school transport. The FAI was before the Oireachtas committee on sport and its main reason for being there was to discuss safeguarding. Imagine showing up at an Oireachtas committee to discuss safeguarding without bringing your safeguarding officer. That is an own goal straight away. I compliment Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan and Senators Ní Chuilinn and Comyn on their questioning because they stayed focused. Safeguarding is not optional for under-18s. Safeguarding and Children First are not optional. It is not à la carte. It is legislative. We have to protect our most vulnerable. We do not want to be dealing with retrospective cases when they turn 18 and now understand what happened might have been inappropriate. I am disappointed because I listened to "Morning Ireland" and Newstalk hoping somebody would pick up on the fact the FAI showed up without its safeguarding officer. The questions were not answered on it. To be fair to the Deputy and the Senators, they were probing really hard to get answers. Parents need accountability. They need assurance when they drop their child off to training or to a match. Yesterday was all about referees and whether the referees presiding over games are Garda vetted. The FAI could not answer the questions. Numerous times we have discussed safeguarding in care, in sport and this morning on school transport. We need a real conversation on safeguarding as well as understanding and awareness. Parents automatically assume, but we have to educate them that they have to adhere to safeguarding legislation.

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