Alarming report on homeless children

The recent report, Homeless Truths, by the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of childhood and how even the most basic rights of children and young people are ignored.

One of the most alarming issues to come out of the report is the lack of any reliable data on the number of homeless children in the State.

The most recent statistics, complied by Focus Ireland in 2008, conservatively put that number at 592.

Homelessness is a scary and traumatic experience where crime, drug abuse, and violence are sad realities of everyday life.

Now imagine just how terrifying that experience is for a 12-year-old child.

Young people who become homeless are exposed to environments that place them at risk of a host of negative health, social, and economic outcomes.

Living without stable housing heightens young people’s vulnerability to victimisation, including robbery, sexual harassment and violence.

The basic right of a child to a safe and loving home and to have a childhood free from fear, danger, and violence, should be a priority for us all.

We now have more than 590 children who are officially homeless in the 21st century. Surely one is too many.

Bart Storan

Campaign for Children

Fleet St

Dublin 2