The Department of Education is urgently reassessing its restrictions on who can work in schools in Northern Ireland.

The government is currently working to tighten up laws on sex offenders working in English schools however the Department of Education in NI said the new legislation, known as the Bichard Bill, will also apply here.

The move to tighten these laws came to the fore earlier this week when it was revealed that ministers had allowed the appointment of a PE teacher in England, even though he had a police caution for accessing child pornography.

Education Minister Ruth Kelly said a "small number" of similar cases in England were now being reviewed.

In Westminster, North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds questioned Education Secretary, Ruth Kelly, about the extent of her liaising with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland with regard to the vetting of teachers.

Mr Dodds said: “This issue is most serious and is understandably causing some real concern amongst parents. Parents should be able to have confidence in the vetting process used by the Education Department. The absolute necessity of guaranteeing that sex offenders and paedophiles are not working in Northern Ireland’s schools can not be stressed strongly enough.

"I asked the Education Secretary to contact her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Office so as to make certain that the matter was being correctly addressed in the Province."

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Children and MLA for West Belfast, Sue Ramsey has today said that the protection of children from harm must come above all other considerations.

Ms Ramsey said: "Despite assurances that no sex offenders are working in schools in the Six Counties, there have been warnings that there are no guarantees it will not happen in the future.

"It is imperative that the British Government give a commitment that the same situation will not be allowed to happen as the one, which has been allowed to develop in Britain.

"Sinn Féin has long called for the upward harmonization of child protection measures right throughout the island to prevent those intending to abuse children from exploiting loopholes and anomalies from gaining employment working with children."

Ms Ramsey pointed out that at present there was nothing to prevent a convicted offender from the north from seeking similar employment in the south.

(EF/SP)