Sport Ireland orders review of child protection practices

Résumé détaillé

Sport Ireland has ordered a review of child protection practices across all national governing bodies of sport after the emergence of safeguarding and vetting gaps at the Football…

Sport Ireland has ordered a review of child protection practices across all national governing bodies of sport after the emergence of safeguarding and vetting gaps at the Football Association of Ireland.

In an address to be delivered at the Oireachtas Sports Committee today, the Chief Executive of Sport Ireland Dr Una May will outline how she has written to all sporting bodies in receipt of state funding to "remind them of their legal obligations in relation to the National Vetting Bureau Acts 2012 to 2016 and the Children First Act 2015".

She will also tells TDs and Senators how "organisations have been tasked to undertake a review of the processes, practices and checks in place to ensure that legal child protection obligations are being adhered to at all levels in their sport, and to advise if they are satisfied with the self-declarations provided to Sport Ireland as part of the most recent Core safeguarding compliance submissions".

"The deadline for responses to this request is Friday, November 20," she adds.

Sport Ireland engages with more than 60 independent, autonomous National Governing Bodies of Sport as well as 29 Local Sports Partnerships across Ireland.

Word of the nationwide safeguarding review comes after the FAI last month revealed "inconsistencies" in the "recording and validation" of Garda vetting information for football coaches and match officials.

The association said it would undertake "a comprehensive review of safeguarding compliance records", as a result.

Dr May said Sport Ireland would continue to engage with the FAI on what has emerged and would "provide any guidance or support" but that the "decisions regarding the appropriate steps to take to address the issue are a matter for the FAI".

Today's meeting is listed under the heading "FAI safeguarding". However the association declined to appear before TDs and Senators this afternoon, something which Fianna Fáil committee member Peter "Chap" Cleere branded as both "disappointing and disgraceful".

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