Irish Examiner report sees Dáil calls for abuse horrors not to be ignored

CHILD abuse horrors of today must not be ignored as the country deals with the horrors of the past, the Dáil heard yesterday in response to revelations in the Irish Examiner outlining dangerous waiting lists for social and health workers.

In his speech on the Ryan Report on abuse in religious institutions, Fine Gael’s spokesperson on children Alan Shatter told the House: “The Irish Examiner has done a public service today by publishing the details that helped the HSE to formulate the 2007 childcare report.

“The newspaper confirmed social workers in the childcare services have claimed they are being overwhelmed. They cannot deal with the number of reports of children at risk or carry out proper assessments.

“They lack the back-up they require in terms of children with intellectual disability. Let us not just assume that simply because of the Ryan... Report, which addresses and reveals the horrors of the past, that no horrors of today need to be remedied,” said Mr Shatter.

North Kerry TD Jimmy Deenihan (FG) told the Dáil that the revelations in yesterday’s paper should not be ignored: “A very comprehensive overview and review of childcare services throughout the country was published today in The Irish Examiner by Jennifer Hough, who obviously went to immense trouble to put it together and it is worth examining.

“In my county, Kerry, there are remarkable gaps in the provision of childcare services throughout the county and it is no wonder, apart from this discussion concerning our institutions, that gaps remain. If we are to be really committed to our children then we must consider the gaps throughout the country in protection services, foster care, residential care, including high-support, and in search and reunion services,” he said.