Health system in crisis - Chaos puts our children in jeopardy

LET’S get the disclaimer dodge out of the way first: the Health Service Executive is responsible for the plight of children awaiting assessment by community care and child protection social workers.

Today’s hot-off-the-press health scandal, where one social work department has more than 400 children in varying states of jeopardy on its books awaiting assessment, has nothing at all to do with Mary Harney.

This means that 400 children who are considered at risk by concerned family members, neighbours, teachers, doctors or nurses are not receiving assessment, support or protection. Simply put, they may be in grave jeopardy, we just don’t know. That our health system — the one with the €255 million deficit — has not been able to establish if they are or not is a scandal that shows a deep contempt for the rights of these young citizens. It also shows contempt for the values of trust, care and security central to the structures that support society.