HSE’s record of failure - Young girls left at risk

FROM the incarceration of psychiatric patients to the plight of young girls at risk of becoming involved in prostitution and victims of trafficking, the HSE has an appalling record of failure in caring for vulnerable people on the edges of society.

The scale of the problems confronting young girls has come to light in an inspection report on private residential child care centres obtained by the Irish Examiner under Freedom of Information legislation.

For hostels to be unsuitable and ill-equipped is bad enough. For supervision to be inadequate is shocking. Exacerbating the problem, many hostel staff lack training in Children First, the national child protection guidelines.