IRELAND
Irish Independent
Mark O’Regan
Parents are being banned from taking Confirmation pictures during the ceremony – because the Catholic Church fears images of children may end up in the hands of potential abusers.
Each diocese in Ireland has been directed to have specific guidelines governing the filming and photography of children while they are on church grounds.
The rules derive from the ‘Safeguarding Standards’ guidelines, introduced by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCC), in 2008.These stipulate that each diocese must have robust child protection policies in place, which are “implemented consistently”.
The National Board was established in response to the clerical abuse scandals, as a way of ensuring that a given set of standards were put in place, and are adhered to.
“It’s to avoid a situation whereby photos get into the wrong hands of potential abusers,” said Ger Kenny, spokesman for the NBSCCC.
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