HSE sees 40,000 child abuse and neglect cases yearly

The HSE is now dealing with 40,000 incidents of child abuse or neglect annually, with the figure described by one local representative as "staggering".

Clare Councillor Brian Meaney, in a written query to the HSE West regional health forum, received details of the number of incidents of child abuse or neglect reported to the children and family service section of the HSE for the last two years.

In its reply, the HSE revealed that in 2012 the total number of referrals nationally was 40,187. This was made up of 19,044 abuse referrals and 21,143 welfare referrals.

The figures were first mentioned by Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, before the Seanad last November in which she said they showed “the serious pressures facing our child welfare and protection services and social work teams”.

She said child protection and welfare referrals to the HSE had nearly doubled since 2007, from 23,618 in 2007 to 40,187 in 2012.

“That will probably marginally increase to nearly 42,000 in 2013,” the minister told the Seanad. “There was a particularly sharp increase in referrals during 2012, from 31,626 in 2011 to 40,187 in 2012.”

While welcoming the increase in referrals as an indication of awareness of child abuse and neglect, Ms Fitzgerald said the volume of referrals “puts pressure on the system and services”.

The final figures for 2013 are not yet available but latest published figures from the HSE for the year to date last December, but not fully inclusive of all cases at that time, showed 13,626 referrals for potential child abuse and 15,651 referrals for child neglect.

Cllr Meaney, who represents Clare County Council on the HSE West health forum, said that even if a fraction of the referrals were shown to be based in fact, it presented an appalling image of how Ireland was treating its children.

“They are staggering and while I am aware that these are notifications of abuse and neglect and the facts have to be ascertained, but if we assume that even one quarter of them are confirmed, then the details are horrendous.

“Abuse and neglect have been shown to be a so-called ‘silent area’, but these figures confirm the extent of the problem we are facing.

“It makes you wonder about the true figures. For instance, how many of these incidents of abuse or neglect of children go unreported? I understand that they often go unreported and the figures released to me may well be just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.