Up to 104,000 children living with parents with alcohol problems

BETWEEN 61,000 and 104,000 children aged under 15 in Ireland are estimated to be living with parents who have problems with alcohol, according to the national charity for alcohol-related issues.

But the extent of the impact of parental alcohol problems on children is unknown and must be examined urgently to protect vulnerable young people, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) has warned.

Following the publication of the Roscommon Child Care Case, AAI maintains a comprehensive examination into the prevalence and impact of parental alcohol problems on children is urgently needed to establish the extent of parental alcohol-related harm children across the country.

According to the charity, our data collection at present is not structured in a way that captures the true extent of the problem.

Health Service Executive statistics on the primary reason as to why children come into state care show that 14% of children taken into state care at the end of 2007 were in care as a result of a “family member abusing drugs/alcohol”.

However, the statistics do not break down the category and the figures are likely to be an underestimate.

Charity director Fiona Ryan said the key message from the Roscommon inquiry must be that children’s voices are heard.

“Too often we don’t see, don’t hear or chose to ignore alcohol-related harms that take place behind the front door.

“We need to learn from past lessons and speak on behalf of children who all too often remain hidden and unheard. There is a serious gap in the training of frontline staff in how to recognise, and respond, when parental alcohol problems might be damaging a child’s health, welfare and development, and/or putting the child at risk of abuse or neglect.”

Under the Child Care Act 1991, the HSE has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of the children not receiving adequate care and protection and to regard the welfare of the child as “the first and paramount consideration”.

However, AAI maintains despite the high levels of alcohol use in this country and the serious effects a parent’s alcohol problems can have on their children, training for frontline staff on the impact of alcohol and substance problems is often inadequate.

Policy officer Cliona Murphy said it was vital that assessments of parents with alcohol and/or drug problems needed to include an assessment of the impact of their problems on their children.

A recent AAI survey on the impact of parental drinking among respondents aged 18-40 years old answering retrospectively found that when both parents drank weekly or more often:

* 14% said they often felt afraid or unsafe as a result of their parents’ drinking.

* 14% said they often witnessed conflict between their parents either when they were drinking or as a result of their drinking.

* 11% said they often had to take responsibility for a parent or a sibling.