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Children in State care being 'placed in danger of abuse and exploitation'

There are concerns about the lack of supports for both children in care and those who have left State care on turning 18.

THERE ARE ALMOST 6,500 children in State care right now. Many of them do not have a social worker assigned to them, some are on long waiting lists for services and others live in poor accommodation or are homeless.

This week, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, who co-founded Focus Ireland, warned that the placement of homeless children in bed and breakfasts and the growing waiting lists for our of hours supports have opened them up to exploitation.

“As we gather this evening it is a harsh reality that a child found in urgent care tonight, whether as the result of living on the streets, a family row or simply falling out of the system, will not get the support of an out of hours social worker – not only does no such service exist but it is not a priority for government,” she said on Tuesday.

Figures from 2013 found 569 children in the care of the HSE did not have a social worker. One third of the people living in asylum accommodation centres are children and some were born and have spent their entire lives living in these centres or hostels.

Homelessness 

In Dublin alone, one family a day is becoming homeless and across the country around 200 families bed down in hotel or bed and breakfast accommodation.

Kennedy said these kinds of figures raise questions about whether we have learned anything form the mistakes of the past, noting that “children regarded as troublesome, illegitimate or from another background being not only institutionalised but being placed in danger of abuse and exploitation”.

Leaving State care

She also noted that children who have been in State care are being “sent out into the world without any supports or services upon reaching the age of 18″.

From the moment they reach what the State deems adulthood, they are left to fend for themselves.

Each year, around 450 children leave the care of the State on turning 18. Earlier this week, Focus Ireland pointed to a growing homelessness crisis among young adults who were previously in State care.

Dónal O’Malley, chair of the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) told TheJournal.ie that the State, “which takes on the legal role of parent to children in state care, expects some of its most vulnerable young adults, from their 18th birthday, to manage with the scarcest of resources, many without the support of a social worker, aftercare worker or a resourced aftercare plan”.

He said supported and semi-independent accommodation services continue to close, pushing already vulnerable young people into homelessness.

“Insecure, unsafe and unpredictable living exacerbates underlying mental health, learning difficulties and other needs,” he explained.

Last year, a report on the deaths of children in care gave examples of young adults with mental health or drug issues, known to the HSE, who had died. One had been in care from a young age after alcohol misuse by his parents and domestic abuse in his home. After reaching the age of 18, his own drug problem escalated resulting in his death.

Another, who came to the attention to the HSE after an allegation he was sexually abused took his own life after leaving State care, though he had been in contact with aftercare services.

Solutions

In the area of social work, additional services can not be provided with existing staffing levels, according to O’Malley. He also called for a system that would allow rent caps to be relaxed for care leavers and deposits fast-tracked.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Charlie Flanagan said recently that a decision has been made to strengthen legislation regarding aftercare. However he said there was no funding available from his department to assist a not for profit organisations who are currently filling in the gaps by delivering services to children who have left State care.

Related: Why do children end up in care in Ireland?>

Read: Garda Commissioner says media reports on Roma child cases “not accurate”>

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21 Comments
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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:13 PM

    The longer it takes the more interest AIB will have to pay won’t they?

    229
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    Mute Plantation Watch
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:29 PM

    The bailout is bigger than 21 Billion, the low interest rates and DIRT @ 41% are not taken into account.

    66
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:38 PM

    True Martin but the more interest they have to pay , the longer it will take for them to get back to profitability.

    16
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    Mute gerbreen
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    Nov 13th 2014, 5:05 PM

    Future tax on profits written off against taxpayer covered debts.

    18
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    Mute Mark Lillis
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    Nov 13th 2014, 5:30 PM

    Profits earned for a large part by charging crazy customers fees to those that bailed them out.

    34
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    Mute Looky here
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    Nov 14th 2014, 12:03 AM

    Investment ?!! More like theft !!

    6
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    Mute KimJong-unDotCom
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:14 PM

    Woohoo we’ll all be rich again. I’ve an option on some apartments in Bulgaria if anyone’s interested?

    108
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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:40 PM

    Bulgaria is old news Kim, Cape Verde is where its at, the new Canaries!… Ryan Air will be flying there soon. Yer man from Cork that knows about the money is selling them!

    66
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:52 PM

    Brendan oil own fake is it ?

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    Mute KimJong-unDotCom
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    Nov 13th 2014, 4:01 PM

    I like your style Ronan, just for that I’ll throw in a hot tub.

    19
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Nov 14th 2014, 1:59 AM

    Brendan Investments …come on now people keep up ….

    2
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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:19 PM

    The Irish taxpayer paid out €21 Billion to bail out the Bank, then the senior bailed the pension fund with over €1.5 Billion, they retired on huge Pensions. Then they closed the pension to new members. The tax payer is paying 1000 staff salaries of over €100,000. Tax payers are taken to the cleaners by the AIB. You would want to be a gxxxxxxe to Bank with them.

    88
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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
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    Nov 13th 2014, 4:11 PM

    In 1984, AIB was bailed out, at a cost of £400 million to the Irish taxpayer, when its subsidiary (ICI) collapsed. The following year AIB paid out a dividend to its shareholders, while still in-hoc to the taxpayer.

    Less than 25 years later AIB was back, cap in hand, for another draw down.

    As from the last budget, it would appear, the government will, now, be incentivising even greater incompetence and negligence through its revised taxation policy.

    http://m.independent.ie/business/irish/why-one-irish-bank-wont-have-to-pay-tax-until-2034-30391556.html

    41
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    Mute John McCormack
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    Nov 13th 2014, 6:44 PM

    I despise that bloody bank, really actively despise it, I have more respect for a junkie thief than I have for anyone working for it.

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    Mute James Darby
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    Nov 13th 2014, 9:20 PM

    Saw that in the paper today, Martin. I nearly choked on me sandwich. 1000 AIB staff on over €100,000. Nothing has changed, these people live in a different world, on our money and nobody seems to care.

    16
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    Mute John McCormack
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    Nov 13th 2014, 11:08 PM

    All the sheeple red arrowing me- the type that doff their cap to their “betters”
    A bankrupt state in tatters because of AIB- generations enslaved to paying for this God awful mess and these sad sacks red arrow someone pointing out how despicable this bank is- third time being bailed out by the tax payers and it’s these clowns attitude will see them bankrupt us again.

    6
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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:36 PM

    Anybody that owes the AIB money shouldn’t pay it until they give all that money back to the taxpayers

    42
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    Mute Gagsy 99
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    Nov 13th 2014, 4:21 PM

    jaysus!

    14
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    Mute justanothertaxpayer
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    Nov 13th 2014, 5:28 PM

    yep – this is a brilliant idea and will definitely help the borrower, the lender and the State finances all in one go.
    I look forward to the next economic marvel from you Denise.

    54
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:28 PM

    Well we’ll keep it so until you do – all of it ! not 75% ……” there’s a big bonus for ye lads and a few share options Isn’t the Irish public really stupid”,
    ALL OF IT !

    38
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    Mute Stephen Kearon
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    Nov 13th 2014, 6:29 PM

    A fraction of this €21b would fix our water system and therefore no need for any Irish Water charges

    23
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Nov 13th 2014, 5:56 PM

    That’s like €4.5k for each citizen. That would give the local economy some boost. Can I expect a cheque in the post?

    20
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    Mute x
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    Nov 13th 2014, 6:31 PM

    Too f***ing late AIB the people have already had to suffer from your mess

    15
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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Nov 13th 2014, 10:34 PM

    Well they could start by returning the €18 they stole from my account, which f***ed up a direct debit payment.

    8
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    Mute David Burke
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:39 PM

    If we get double digits billions back from the bank we will be doing well. AIB isn’t worth 21 billion.

    The big swing is the taking back the provisions for bad loans which were the worse worse case. That’s why they made big losses as they had to put huge money aside and now they don’t need it so they can take some and call it a profit.

    But that’s a short term thing as the economy improves and losses reduce. They still haven’t shown they can make money long term.

    6
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 3:45 PM

    IF I was a sausage I’d dance at the crossroads with a pink tutu on, while reciting the government ignored out of copyright amhran na bfhiann backwards on a bicycle !

    10
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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    Nov 13th 2014, 7:02 PM

    What about some decking Kim, a hot tub and some decking and im in!! I already have one in Kusadasi.

    4
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    Mute Kenneth Clifford
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    Feb 6th 2015, 3:15 PM

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    Mute Alan Clinton
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    Nov 14th 2014, 10:13 AM

    It’s about time we took our fingers out of our holes and marched on the banks think about what they done to this country and how easy they got away with it . FFs Ireland’s paying 42% of the over all debt of the eu, so how dose the smallest end up paying the most

    1
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Nov 13th 2014, 4:01 PM

    Bing!

    1
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    Mute Michael Flannery
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    Nov 13th 2014, 4:32 PM

    So how much will my bank shares be worth by then…??

    6
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Nov 13th 2014, 5:13 PM

    As Paul said they will be worth “Bing”

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Nov 20th 2014, 7:36 PM

    I have got to be the worlds lousiest fairy.

    1
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