SOCIAL workers have raised serious concerns over commitments given by the Government to bolster services following the publication of the Ryan report.

THE Irish Association of Social Workers is concerned that the state is failing to meet its legal obligations towards children in care.

THE Government yesterday unveiled its long-awaited response to the recommendations of the Ryan report, with the roll-out of the plan likely to cost €25 million.

MORE than a sixth of children in care do not have an allocated social worker.

IRISH society continues to systematically fail children at risk of abuse and neglect, the head of Barnardos, Fergus Finlay, has said.

SOCIAL workers have taken a stand against therapies which claim to “cure” homosexuality on the grounds that they add to the mental distress of gay and lesbian people.

FOLLOWING Declan Cashin’s article on growing up gay in Ireland (June 24), the Questions & Answers programme on RTÉ last Monday night and pride festivals in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast, the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) repeats its call for full marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships.

CHILD welfare groups have hailed a Health Service Executive review of services as a vindication of their pleas for urgent extra funding for the sector.

SIBLING sexual abuse is more common than sexual abuse by a parent, according to the director of a treatment programme for young abusers.

MORE parents are being bullied and beaten by their children, a national helpline warned yesterday.

SOME reports of child abuse are taking up to a year to be investigated, social workers warned yesterday.

THE need for an out-of-hours child protection service was highlighted in the south east 10 years ago in a child care report.

CALLS for an expanded out-of-hours service grew yesterday following evidence of a rise in the number of children deemed “homeless” by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

SOCIAL workers are calling for realistic resources to deliver proper mental health services to children and teenagers.