Drop in numbers of asylum-seeking children in care

NEW figures show the number of separated children seeking asylum that have been taken into care is likely to fall to its lowest level in a decade, but some children are still staying in hostel accommodation.

The HSE said in the first seven months of this year 41 children in the asylum system were placed in care, while in the whole of last year the annual figure was 144. The publication of the figures comes as the HSE said the practice of placing unaccompanied minors into hostels will end by the close of this year.

The figures show as of last September, 19 people were still staying in hostel accommodation – down from a figure of 24 in July, 56 in March and 76 a year ago.