No therapy for 3,000 child abuse victims

More than 3,000 children who reported they were sexually abused last year cannot access therapy from the HSE — unless they live in Dublin or Limerick.

Despite the horror of child sex abuse depicted in the Ferns, Murphy, Ryan and Cloyne reports, the HSE still does not have a national network of specialised counsellors available to help children in the aftermath of disclosing their abuse.

A HSE assessment structure is in place to confirm abuse but after that, vulnerable children are just sent home, unless they can travel to Dublin or Limerick for specialised therapy or afford private counselling in their region.