Project Inform (Ireland)

Background
Project Inform was launched in 2009-2010 with an four-month research investigation into the status of child protection in Ireland. The research comprised of a series of interviews and conversations with representatives from the media, the child advocacy NGO leadership (those who agreed to meet), Government officials, TD’s, Senators, the Gardai (Irish police) and members of the Catholic Church. We met with victims of abuse. We were present for the launch of the reports on clerical abuse. We conducted interviews with a cross-section of the public.  In addition we met with representatives from peripheral advocacy action groups who were pressuring the government for change.

Results
Even before we had completed our investigation the emerging results were troubling. The status of child protection, while widely talked about, was effectively unchanged for the previous 50 + years. The burden of the work to protect children was carried by the reliable child advocacy workhorses - Bardardos and the ISPCC. Efforts to even suggest change were met in some cases by suspicion, hostility and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge that there might be a better method, an easier method, of implementing child-friendly protective measures. The status quo was one that was - is - not easily changed. Measures which are default in the UK and the U.S. are nonexistent in Ireland. Examples include a lack of child protection in the Constitution the wording of which has been drafted for two years, a lack of understanding of Mandatory Reporting and its importance, a lack of funding for an effective Garda child protection unit and an overall sense that Ireland needed a unique solution but was in no hurry to implement anything. The imagined need to reinvent the wheel sums it up.

Our programs in Ireland:
In an effort to assist the development of effective child protection programmes, our non-profit implemented a number of projects – at no costs to the recipients. Our mission is the protection of children from abuse.

1.  Guardian ad Litem programme: We provided extensive programme development documents to the Jr. Minister for Children in 2010 with the goal of replacing the existing paid system with the U.S. model of trained volunteers. This was also offered to the current Minister in late 2011.

2.  Missing Children’s Hotline: In 2010 One Child International offered to pay for the implementation of the Missing Children’s hotline on the condition that the Department of Children pay for 25%. The cost was an estimated E120,000.

3.  Child Protection Forum: In 2010 we offered to set up a forum including the Jr. Minister for Children, the CEOs of all the Dublin-based child advocacy NGO’s, the Gardai and the HSE where they would meet their counterparts from the UK and the U.S. in an effort to exchange ideas and support the development of a workable Irish model. This was to be fully paid for by One Child International with accommodation expenses provided by the HSE.

4.  Catholic Church: Our child protection literature set was offered to Archbishop Martin as a suggest resource - in whole or part - for parishioners free or printed with the Churches message and logo.

5.  Government: Our child protection literature set has been sent and received by members of the last and current Dail and Senate with an offer to provide copies free for member’s constituents.

6.  Parent information programme: One Child International offered to private label our prevention materials with the Dept of Health or the HSE's logo and distribute them to every household in the country for E1 per household plus postage. There are 1.47 million households in Ireland.

7.  George Gibney: At the request of a journalist one of our investigators tracked down child molester Gibney in Orlando and we did an extensive background history of his time in the U.S.. We met with a representative of the Minister for Justice Ahern in 2010 to discuss how a case could be brought against serial child molester George Gibney. We also met with the Gardai. Information packets including Justine McCarthy's book 'Deep Deception' were sent to the US Ambassador in Dublin, the local police and sheriff in Orange County, ICE, FDLE and the FBI. We have reported extensively in his activities since then as has been reflected in the media.

8.  Gardai (Irish Police): In an effort to assist the Gardai we offered the following:

a.   A set of our child protection materials – free – for every member of the force, printed with the Garda logo. Offered on two occasions.

b.   An opportunity for the Child Protection division to train with their U.S. child-protection counterparts in Dublin or in the U.S. – fully paid for by us

c.   A scholarship – fully paid for – for a member of the Harcourt Street Garda Child Protection Unit to attend the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center in London (affiliated to the Serious Organized Crime Agency - SOCA) to attend their series of  courses on child sexual abuse produced by their Behavioral Psychology Unit. A University qualification was included on the completion of the course.