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Irish children in care go without social workers

One in five children in care in parts of Ireland did not have a social worker assigned to their care last year.

Figures published by the country’s Child and Family Agency, Tusla, revealed that 451 children were affected. This represents around seven per cent of the total number in care throughout Ireland. Tusla is an independent body which works to improve the lives of children in the country. Their policy on children in care states that every child in the system should have someone from social services dedicated to their care.

The proportion of children without an allotted social worker varied between the various counties. In County Donegal in the north of the country, 44 of the 210 children in care did not have such support. At 21 per cent, this was the highest reported rate of affected children. The second highest proportion came in the mid-west region, where 19 per cent of children did not have a social worker at the end of 2015.

James Reilly, the acting Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, suggested that the gaps identified could be explained by “a number of factors including maternity leave, vacancies and competing priorities”.

In response to a parliamentary question on the matter, Mr Reilly claimed that government officials had spoken with members of Tusla and that “steps are being taken as a priority to remedy the situation”.

At the end of 2015, there were 6,388 children in care in Ireland. A vast majority – 93 per cent – were in foster care placements. In England, there were close to 70,000 children living in care last year, which was the highest number in 30 years.

The blog team at Stowe is a group of writers based across our family law offices who share their advice on the wellbeing and emotional aspects of divorce or separation from personal experience. As well as pieces from our family law solicitors, guest contributors also regularly contribute to share their knowledge.

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Comments(2)

  1. The Devil's Advocate says:

    Yes that is unacceptable position but as in the UK it depends on their quality and gender. To be honest the Social Workers who are branded as unbalanced and unprofessional who deal within private law cases are as rule have the empathy of the Sheriff of Nottingham and cause serious concern that even the CPS are investigating a particular LA who employs them.
    With hope that the vast majority are balanced even though generally gender bias there should BE many more of them on the ground to protect our children…irrespective to where they are located!

  2. Portia says:

    Not much change then in Eire.

    Our children are still a money making commodity.

    “Care” is the one place where you can legally abuse a child and get paid for it”….words of a child leaving the corporate care system.

    A top child protection expert has stated that over 70% of social workers – SS- on the street- suffer sadistic schadenfreude dis-ease.

    We need 100% transparency in our court system and stop using Hitler’s “Best Interest of the child” slogan as an excuse.

    We also breach art 6 of human rights daily – again using the excuse that all Irish mothers are still feeble minded.

    So why are we called the Hub of child trafficking?

    Everyone knows where the children disappear to- but the SS gate keepers do nothing.

    Why are we warehousing – SS language – alien- foreign children when they could easily be returned home.

    Why are we still wanting to assimilate non Roman Catholics into the RC cult.?

    For anyone who wants to know how service users – children and families are abused- its all documented here. The pattern never changes.

    nkmr.org/en/import/2521-the-rhetoric-case-by-linda-arlig

    Persecution strategies in a child care order investigation

    One has to speak to children in the custody of the state – prisoners now and for the next generation.

    Sadly solicit-ors and BAR,risters rarely go against HSE/TUSLA because of threats and being blackballed.

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