Gardaí criticise system for dealing with at-risk children

THE system of dealing with children taken into care is so ad hoc that gardaí have considered bringing children to their own homes, Garda representatives claim.

The situation will not improve under HSE plans to expand a foster care ‘emergency place of safety service’, instead of developing an out-of-hours social care service, according to the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.

Sergeant Willie Gleeson, a member of its national executive, said the new service – which places at-risk children with foster families for up to three nights – was no more than “glorified B&B”.

“It is not suitable or acceptable to offer a support service that does not involve professional social workers. Under this new system, we still have no statutory point of contact after 5pm. What we have is an accommodation service with no expert advice available to gardaí.”

He said when dealing with at-risk children, gardaí often had to “make it up as we go along”, and children regularly ended up over-nighting in Garda stations.

“I know gardaí who have felt they were going to have to bring the child to their own home, which is clearly unacceptable, even if their intentions were good.”

The HSE said approximately 10 families had so far entered the scheme in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Longford, Sligo/Leitrim and Portlaoise. Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Mayo have an out-of-hours service.

Sgt Gleeson said it was unclear who would be responsible for bringing children to the foster families.

A statement from the HSE said the new service, to commence next month, would assist gardaí “in accessing an appropriate place of safety for children found to be at risk out of hours”.

The statement said the service would provide a “standardised response across the country for children who can be appropriately placed in a family setting”.

It also said a joint protocol between the HSE and the gardaí would provide “a code of conduct and set of standardised procedures for staff of the HSE and members of an Garda Síochána in the placement of children with this service”.

Sgt Gleeson said he was not aware of any protocol.