Earlier this week Meath West TD and Aontú leader, Peadar Tóibín had asked the Minister for Children, were any of the boys who died in the M9 collision in the care of the state. Today news reports confirmed information given to an Teachta Tóibín. An Teachta stated:
“This is shocking. The M9 collision shocked the country to the core. People could not understand how young boys could be so callous and reckless in their behaviour as to put the lives of innocent people in such danger. Many people rightly asked where was the parental responsibility, given that these teenagers were involved in criminal activity in the early hours of the morning. However, the truth is, at least one of these children was in the care of the state and two others were known to the state. It appears that the state was in loco parentis for at least one of these children. It is clear that the state failed utterly to do its job.
For years now I have challenged Tusla and Ministers of Children over the appalling record of the state in minding these children. Well over 230 children have died in the care of the state or known to the state in the last 12 years. These children have died as a result of murder, suicide, drug overdoses and shocking accidents. No one is saying that minding children in such difficult circumstances is easy and not without danger. But we know that the state has been using sub standard and shoddy Special Emergency Accommodation to mind these children.
These consisted of flats in a block of apartments or often a hotel room. The businesses that provide this service were often not regulated and staff are often not vetted. Children go missing all the time from these locations. There are dozens of children missing right now from residential care. This week I learned through PQ that 13 children are missing for over 6 months from Tusla. These children are then exposed to sexual exploitation and to drug traffickers. The government is taking children from horrendous situations and putting them into other horrendous situations.
Tusla announced that SEAs are coming to and end. However, I understand that as many as 250 children are on waiting lists for residential care. At the end of July Tusla was found by the High Court in contempt of court for failing to provide secure placements for vulnerable children despite being directed to do so.
In this case the government’s failure may well have led, in part, to the innocent family suffering horrendous injury on the M9. Its no longer acceptable for the Minister for Children to hide behind Tusla. The Minister has the ultimate authority and responsibility. She must public detail what has happened in this case. She must explain why residential capacity still does not exist and how the state will help strengthen families so that they can raise their children.
