A high-support unit for children in care is to close down next month after the inspection watchdog, the Health and Information Quality Authority (Hiqa), said it was a serious fire risk and that staff were unable to control bullying behaviour.

THE state is paying private residential childcare companies in the region of €14,000 a week to look after individual children, while beds remain empty in homes run by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

CARE workers say they are powerless to prevent a repeat of the Tracey Fay tragedy because their hands are tied by the law.

SOCIAL care workers are “walking on eggshells” and feel they cannot respond in a normal and natural way to children’s needs due to the increasingly strict guidelines they must adhere to.

THE proposed amendment to the Constitution enshrining children’s rights could expose social workers to false accusations, it was claimed yesterday.