"Damning Report from Child Law Project Should Prompt Political Action" - Tóibín
The Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has called on the government to 'take seriously' the findings of today's report from the Child Law Project.
Speaking today, Deputy Tóibín said:
"I have again today written to the chairperson of the Oireachtas Children's Committee - Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane - imploring her to bring Tusla, the Minister for Children, and CAMHS before the committee to explain the findings of this damning report from the Child Law Project. The Minister for Children needs to get a grip on this situation, and to actually express some interest in the topic of child protection and wellbeing beyond simply saying 'that's a matter for Tusla'. There is a disaster - a systems breakdown - occurring in this country but its hidden behind closed doors during 'in camera' proceedings in courtrooms across the country".
Deputy Tóibín added: "This is a life and death issue. The children listed as examples in the report by the Child Law Project today will be dead in the next two years if the concerns of the group, and the courts, are not taken seriously. I do not say that lightly. I am deeply concerned also about the revelation that children as young as four are being forced into residential care due to a lack of foster placements and that there is a waiting list for special care. The care providers have been raising red warning flags about this for some time, but have been ignored by Tusla who persist in pumping money into unregulated special emergency accommodation instead".
"As for CAMHS, they need to be dragged over the coals in the Children's Committee over their broken communication patterns with Tusla and utter failure to protect children who are in serious danger. When one reads the reports from the National Review Panel and the anonymised examples today from the Child Law Project we see the same failures evident. CAMHS refusing to accept certain referrals from Tusla, and disasters happening before a CAMHS assessment has been done on a child. I have no doubt that some of the stories and timelines outlined by the CLP will end in death if we don't have intervention. The private and voluntary care sector must be listened to, and their concerns acted upon, as too should representative groups of foster families. It goes without saying that the Child Law Project itself needs to have its funding reinstated as a matter of urgency", concluded Tóibín.
