191.—(1) A visiting panel appointed under section 190 shall observe such of the rules made by the Minister under that section as apply to it, and, subject to those rules, it shall be the duty of a visiting panel—

(a) to visit each children detention school from time to time and at frequent intervals and there to hear any complaint which may be made to it by any child residing in the school and, if so requested by the child, to hear any such complaint in private,

(b) to report to the Minister any abuses or irregularities observed or found by it in any school,

(c) to report to the Minister in relation to any repairs or structural alterations to any school which may appear to it to be needed, and

(d) to report to the Minister in relation to any other matter relating to any school either as instructed by the Minister or on its own initiative.

(2) A visiting panel and every member thereof shall be entitled at all times to visit either collectively or individually a children detention school in respect of which it is appointed and shall at all times have free access either collectively or individually to every such school and every part of it.

(3) The Minister may request the board of management of a children detention school to instruct the visiting panel to report to that board on any matter relating to the school.

(4) The board of management of such a school shall forward to the Minister any report made to it under this section, together with its views on the report.

(5) Copies of any such report and of the board of management’s views on it shall be laid by the Minister before each House of the Oireachtas.

(6) Before laying a report before each House of the Oireachtas, the Minister may omit material from it where the omission is necessary to avoid the identification of any person.