Four children went missing for 15 days from 'poorly managed' international protection centre

An assessment of The Towers IPAS centre in Clondalkin by Hiqa discovered that four children had absconded for more than two weeks while their parent was hospitalised, with staff having no idea of the childrens’ whereabouts.

A Dublin-based international protection centre has been told its child safeguarding processes require “significant improvement” after four children staying there went missing for 15 days.

An assessment of The Towers IPAS centre in Clondalkin by Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) discovered that, despite child safeguarding protocols at the centre, the four children had absconded for more than two weeks while their parent was hospitalised, with staff having no idea of the childrens’ whereabouts.