Aontú leader says the scheduling of Jacob Engelsman – who promotes male lactation for sexual gratification – at the HSE-funded NGO’s conference should be investigated for breaches of the national policy protecting children.
Peadar Tóibín has questioned if the Association of Lactation Consultants Ireland (ALCI) was in breach of Children First guidelines and laws, when it scheduled Engelsman for a talk at the ALCI’s annual conference.
He says the episode must be reviewed for failures of risk assessment and compliance breaches, with its funding pulled and suitable sanctions applied if so.
Said Tóibín: “ALCI is an NGO that receives funding from the HSE. The event was only stopped after the controversy rolled on for days, and the HSE even defended his talk, citing ‘equality and inclusion’ reasons. However, statutory obligations under Children First are paramount.
“This story is deeply shocking and it disturbed any right-thinking person. It has made international headlines. To publicly push breast-feeding as a man’s fetish is akin to child abuse. It is shocking to think the HSE is paying an NGO who lined up such a speaker to address a professional medical conference.
“Pushing such dangerous practices involving children as props in your ‘sexual gratification’ seems a a clear breach of the Children First policy. This is what the statutory protection and welfare of children is for.
“The ALCI should be investigated for failing to safeguard children and failures of proper risk assessment and oversight in choosing this speaker. The policy states mandated persons – like healthcare workers – have a strict statutory duty to report grounds for concern around harm of children. The HSE has a duty to supervise it too, as a group that receives funding. Did ALCI know Engelsman’s background? If so, why promote him? And if not, why not?
“I would call on those in charge of Children First statutory policy in the HSE to ensure an investigation is carried out into why and how this happened. I have written to the relevant authorities in the HSE asking that this be carried out.”
