State ‘still failing children’ as Childline gets 450,000 calls

THE Government has again been accused of failing children, as figures from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children show there were almost 450,000 calls to its helpline in the first six months of the year.

The stark figures revealed to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children yesterday also show there are almost 300 children on a waiting list to access services provided by the charity, due to unprecedented demand and a shortage of funds.

Both the ISPCC and Barnardos also warned that serious cracks are appearing throughout the child protection system, while Government promises on services have not been met.