Protecting children - Frightening breakdown in order

The United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child specifically stipulated that the views of children must be taken into account in matters affecting them. But legal proceedings are frequently taken with the children having no say at all.

More than three-quarters of the children involved in court proceedings effectively had no voice, because no adviser was appointed to represent them. A major report, commissioned by the Government, warned in 2004 that the “existing situation cannot continue”. But it has continued, because there has been no practical change in the procedures. This is clearly wrong.

It is an outrage that reports are drawn up on matters requiring attention and those reports are then ignored. This practice is a waste of resources and the ensuing indifference undermines the process of government and effective administration.

A guardian ad litem (GAL) is supposed to be appointed by the courts as an independent advocate to look after the interests of a child brought before the courts. The children’s charity Barnardos, runs the only co-ordinated GAL service in the country, but it can only deal with a small fraction of the cases. In 2008 it handled some 300 cases, which was less than a sixth of the 1,848 cases involving care orders relating to children.

The latest case of two children taken into care in the North Kerry/West Limerick region is distressing to read. One of the children had to plead to be taken into care, despite a file on the family chronicling abuse and neglect stretching over 17 years.

Gardaí had been called to the house 66 times due to the violent behaviour of the parents. Four other children in the family had already been taken into care.

The children were unkempt, unwashed and lice-infested. One child told of being offered money for oral sex by a named family friend, but the parents still left the child alone with that person.

The same child was recently hospitalised with anal bleeding. The child spoke of sexual abuse, but the father said the child had “a very funny imagination”. There was nothing funny about it. The whole thing was utterly revolting.

In recent weeks we have been witnessing a frightening breakdown in social order, not just in a deprived city area, but also throughout various parts of the country. This would seem to be a logical consequence of the official indifference being exhibited towards children in difficult circumstances.