Lack of out-of-hours social workers ‘is inhumane’

THE Government has been criticised for allowing a situation develop whereby a troubled 15-year-old boy had to sleep in a Garda station because officers could not contact social workers.

Fine Gael senator Jerry Buttimer told the Seanad that the Government’s record on the provision of social services was “appalling” and “inhumane”.

Mr Buttimer was reacting to an Irish Examiner story which documented how the 15 year old, who ran away from his foster parents in Cork, ended up sleeping in Mallow Garda station because officers could not contact Health Service Executive (HSE) social workers on the night in question.

Gardaí were only able to contact the HSE when its offices opened at 9am the following morning.

In response, the HSE said community-based child protection social work services were provided only between Monday and Friday from 9am to 5pm.

But Mr Buttimer attacked the Government for allowing this situation to persist, saying: “Life does not end at 4pm on Friday only to restart at 9am on Monday.”

The Government was being “inhumane” to people, he added, stressing that out-of-hours social services had to be funded.

“It is an appalling vista for the Government that a young boy was obliged to spend two nights in a Garda cell. Shame on the Government.”

Responding on the Government’s behalf, Green Party senator and deputy Seanad leader Dan Boyle said he had worked in the community and youth work area and shared Mr Buttimer’s concerns.

But he said it was not simply an issue of funding.

“The current approach to social work has resulted in poor service delivery across the country for several years. The problem is only partially related to resources and may be attributed to a culture within social services and the manner in which they are delivered.”