Child Welfare

Ballyea Hurling Club is fully committed to creating the safest possible environment for all young people who participate in our activities. We do our utmost to take all practicable steps to safeguard children from any discernable forms of abuse, harm, discrimination or degrading treatment and we respect their rights, wishes and feelings.  The club has a designated Children’s Officer and a Designated Liaison Officer (details below) whose appointments are central to the Club’s policy on Child Welfare and are required under the GAA’s ‘Our Games – Our Code’ guidelines. We would ask everyone involved with the club to support and cooperate with them in carrying out their roles.

Club Children's Officer: Tomas Chambers Tel No Mobile +353 86 318 7431:  childrensofficer.ballyea.clare@gaa.ie

Designated Liaison Officer: James Carmody Mob:(085) 167 3031   Email: carmodyjames68@gmail.com

If you are –

• a Juvenile (U6-U18) member who is worried about your treatment within the club

OR

• an adult member, parent or mentor who has  any concerns about the welfare of a child

you are urged to contact the Children’s Officer.  You can be assured you will be dealt with professionally and in the strictest confidence.

The following links are provided for your information and in particular the GAA Code of Behaviour (Underage) of Best Practice in Youth Sport.  The Code replaces all previous Codes and is a mandatory Code of Best Practice for all Gaelic Games Associations in our work with underage players. It is a comprehensive good practice guidance publication and our hope is that all players, coaches, parents and other Club personnel will adhere to it.  We encourage everyone to review it to help understand their responsibilities within the club and ask that all parents go through the relevant sections with their children to help them gain an understanding of their responsibilities towards their fellow players, coaches and mentors also.

In the GAA, any person who carries out a role of responsibility such as coaching, managing or training underage teams or indeed adult teams that contain any player under 18 yrs. of age must be vetted. It also applies to organising underage activities or refereeing underage games.  Please follow the link below to progress your application for vetting.

• Our Games Our Code - Code of Behaviour (Underage)
• Garda E Vetting - Step by Step