Safeguarding children in the Dublin Diocese

• The Archdiocese of Dublin operates Children First – State Child Protection Guidelines -in conjunction with Church Guidelines.

• The Child Protection Service in the Diocese has two main objectives; to minimise the possibility of abuse happening, and if it does to maximise the possibility of detection.

• It is Diocesan policy to report all allegations of child sexual abuse to the civil authorities.

• Every parish in the Archdiocese of Dublin has a trained child protection representative in place.

• 2,100 parish volunteers and Diocesan Organisation personnel and volunteers have participated in the Keeping Safe programme as licensed by the VDA (Volunteer Development Agency) and used by the HSE.

• 7,065 personnel have taken part in the Garda Vetting Process. This includes clergy, parish workers and volunteers, Diocesan agency workers and volunteers and ancillary staff in catholic schools. (Teachers are vetted by the Teaching Council)  

• All Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Dublin, like every other school in the country, are required to implement the State Child Protection guidelines, Children First. The Dublin Diocesan Education secretariat has also carried out training for Boards of Management in Dublin Catholic schools to ensure best practice in child protection. This is monitored on an ongoing basis.

• The Archbishop ensures that no priest is permitted to minister in the Diocese against whom an allegation has been made, who is considered by the Diocesan Child Protection Service, Diocesan Advisory Panel, the HSE or the Gardai to be a risk to children.  

• Priests who are out of ministry as a result of child protection concerns are required to co-operate with  a monitoring system operated by the Child Protection Service .