Varadkar tells of ‘shock and disgust’ at paedophile claims

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has spoken of his horrified reaction at emerging details of the child sex abuse investigation in the south-west of the country.

Mr Varadkar said he was aware of an investigation and arrests in relation to investigations into child sex abuse.

“As the investigation is ongoing, I cannot say any more about its details other than to commend the work of gardaí and Tusla to ensure these arrests took place,” he said.

“The crimes alleged are shocking, abhorrent and truly disgusting,” the Taoiseach told the Dáil.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin (pictured) said the latest appalling child sex abuse cases have highlighted serious gaps in the State’s ability to deal with these crimes. Mr Martin said he had no wish to comment on the horrific cases being investigated in Limerick, Cork and Clare, and would do nothing to risk identifying those involved.

But he warned that only 45pc of recommendations in a 2012 Garda Inspectorate report on fighting child sex abuse had been implemented more than five years on. The Fianna Fáil leader said it took up to 2017 for a recommended victims’ helpline to be established.

There were still no child advocacy centres, as recommended, and alarmingly, inexperienced and untrained gardaí were still interviewing child sex victims and taking their statements. “Why is there such poor implementation of the Garda Inspectorate report?” Mr Martin asked the Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar said sex abuse was the most heinous crime – and child sex abuse was the worst of all. He conceded that there was a need for more work to improve facilities to investigate and clamp down on child sex abuse.

But he said recent legislation strengthened the law to curb child pornography and the use of social media for “grooming” of children for sex abuse.

He said the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, which this Government had brought in, contained significant provisions to deal with and prevent the sexual exploitation of children, with jail terms of 10 to 14 years in serious cases.

Mr Varadkar said the Government would continue to work with An Garda Síochána to improve facilities to fight child sex abuse.

“There are shortcomings which remain. We will work very hard with An Garda Síochána in the months and years ahead to ensure its members have the resources, technology and training they need to protect our children,” the Taoiseach said.

Mr Martin said the scale of what has been alleged in Limerick was shocking and may represent “a first” in this country. “It is important to point out that 60pc of all reported sex crimes in Ireland involve a child but only 4pc of cases notified to gardaí result in convictions,” he added. The Taoiseach said the Government was committed to full implementation of the Garda Inspectorate report.