No social worker for 3,000 children at immediate risk

More than 3,000 high-priority children known to be in immediate danger of serious neglect or abuse have no dedicated social worker.

The shocking claim was made by children’s rights activist and senator, Jillian Van Turnhout, at yesterday’s meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Health and Children.

She discovered that more than 3,000 of the 9,000 children who have no social worker at any given time are considered to be ‘high-priority’ cases by the Child and Family Agency.

High-priority cases are classed as children at immediate risk of harm, such as being abandoned, beaten or sexually abused.

“I am alarmed that figure is so high. I think we should be ringing alarm bells,” Ms Van Turnhout said.

Senior officials from the CFA admitted on Wednesday that children’s lives might still be at risk when they published the latest reports into the deaths of children and young people known to social services.

Ms Van Turnhout said the figure that was taken from an internal CFA report included more than 3,000 cases considered ‘high priority’.

Minister James Reilly said it was obvious that there were a “raft of things” that seemed to be looked at in isolation and delays in reports and information changing hands.

Ms Van Turnhout said it would be reprehensible if the performance of the agency was to be measured on the number of children who died in state care.

“Will we be applauding ourselves that less children have died this year in the care of the State? We have to set targets and they need to be published.,” she said.