IRELAND
Irish Independent
THE Catholic hierarchy has given the go-ahead to a national programme aimed at training all relevant Church workers in the new and comprehensive child protection procedures agreed earlier this year.
The procedures, which were agreed following protracted and sometimes difficult negotiations, are currently awaiting Vatican approval, but Church personnel will be trained in them in the meantime.
The training will see Church workers, including priests, receive instructions on the policy which is aimed mainly at preventing child abuse, or allegations of child abuse, occuring in the first place.
In accordance with the policy, called 'Our Children: Our Church', Church workers will be told they should try to avoid being alone with children.
Among the other stipulations are that children and young people should not remain on Church property unless there are at least two adults present, that Church workers should not spend "a disproportionate" length of time with one child or group of children, and that all "inappropriate" physical contact should be avoided, including "horseplay".