Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IT EMERGED THIS morning that a senior garda had been arrested for leaking information about two children who were temporarily removed from their families in late 2013.
The two children, a two-year-old boy from Athlone and a seven-year-old girl from Tallaght, were both members of the Roma community.
They were removed from their homes over concerns that the families they were staying with were not their biological families. In both cases, it was eventually determined that their parents were indeed were their biological parents.
In the case of Child T (Tallaght), DNA testing was used to prove parentage.
A report by the Children’s Ombudsman found that “ethnic profiling” was a factor in removal of Roma children.
Here’s what happened and why a garda has now been arrested:
Tallaght
In October 2013, a news story was making global headlines about a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who had been found living with a Roma family in Greece.
The story prompted a woman living in Tallaght to contact a journalist through his TV show’s Facebook page over concerns she had about a blonde-haired girl living with a Roma family in the locality.
The journalist passed his concerns onto local gardaí who began to look into the matter. One garda was aware of ‘Child T’ because he had previously been assigned to one of her sisters.
Gardaí spoke to the principal at the Child T’s school and to the Department of Social Welfare. It emerged that the girl was officially registered under a different first name.
The confusion meant gardaí decided to visit the child’s home.
Upon visiting, they spoke to the parents and saw the seven-year-old with one garda officer commenting that she was was “strikingly different in appearance” from the rest of her family.
The mother of the child could not provide a birth certificate for the child. Gardaí contacted the Coombe Hospital where, again, there was confusion surrounding the child’s name.
Other family members and more gardai arrived in the interim.
A passport and birth certificate were then provided for Child T but gardai concluded that they were not sufficient because they could not be corroborated by the Coombe.
A decision was taken to place the child in the care of the HSE.
The following day, the Sunday World revealed that gardai were investigating the true identity of the girl.
The story became national news and DNA tests were ordered on the young child and her family.
Two days after the child was taken from her home, DNA tests confirmed her identity and she was returned to her family.
Timelines:
Athlone
In the case of the two-year-old boy in Athlone, previous concerns had been raised about the child a number of months previous.
A member of the public had raised concerns with the gardaí after seeing the child with “very blonde hair and the bluest eyes” with the family at a festival in Clare.
As the Maria story was making headlines, An Garda Síochána’s Missing Persons Bureau received an email tiled “Suspected Child Abduction” again mentioning the festival in Co Clare.
Gardaí tracked down the family and the case was transferred to Athlone Garda Station. Local gardaí made enquiries and visited the family.
As with the case in Tallaght, there were issues with gardaí verifying the birth certificate of the child in question, Child A. Certificates were provided but gardaí felt there were discrepancies.
The parents of the child agreed to come voluntarily to Athlone Garda Station.
Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 was enacted given a perceived flight risk. The child was then placed in the care of foster parents but was reported to be crying for his mother. He stayed with them overnight.
The following day, after the the child’s GP, Barnardos, and the HSE all agreed there were no doubts over the child’s parentage, he was returned to them.
“Ethnic profiling”
A report by the former Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan made a range of recommendations into the handling of the both cases.
Each case were critically evaluated separately and were given their own set of recommendations.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, and Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan all apologised to the families of two children.
The report also stated that An Garda Síochána must enhance its “cultural competence” in dealing with the Roma community.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Great to see some good looking young platinum blonde women in the Dail.
Too many plain looking auld wans in Irish political life.
What a dick comment to make. Why make reference to her looks? She seems smart and competent to me and I’d like to know more about her values and vision for Ireland and Mayo
and Dublin right?
‘I’d like to know more about her values and vision for Ireland and Mayo’
Haha.
Nice one Dermot.
You had me going there for a minute.
I think her “looks” helped her get elected….Your surely not naive enough to think that this was not a factor….
About the coalition with FG she said ‘My heart and conscience says no, but my wallet says yes’
It’s not her choice.
It has to be passed by a majority at the special Ard Fheis.
No chance of that happening.
I hope she listens to her wallet, or she could find herself out of a job very shortly if another election is called.
After Mr Martin saying repeatedly on television that he would not go into coalition with fianna Gail and then to flip flop and go in would be typical of our elected so called representatives, why bother going to ghetto expense of having debates and setting out policy documents if the day after your elected on these you do the opposite. I can’t think of any other profession where openly lying is exceptable.
I always believe that politicians buy their shous one size bigger so that they can cover more ground.
‘shoes’…..
Politics is a magnet for psychopaths. Psychopaths can lie with incredible ease. They could stand in front of you, piss on your shoes and tell you it’s raining.
Aoife, he can’t go in with FG because any coalition proposal had to be passed in a vote by the members of FF.
He doesn’t have the power to veto the members vote.
Paper doesn’t refuse ink, but don’t believe what the FG media wants you to believe as the members of FF will not vote for a coalition after spending months canvassing at doors for the removal of FG from government.
The Ard Fheis vote is being ignored by the media in all of their articles.
I don’t trust them in the slightest, they’ll work it so that they won’t go into coalition but will work together on all bills and debates.they did it already by not having the debate on Irish water.
Aoife the government effectively didn’t allow any debate on Irish water. They railroaded the legislation through so the concerns which FF had were drowned out by the arrogance and expedience of FG/Labour pushing the bill through. FF certainly didn’t coalesce as their opposition on this and many other laws enacted in the last Dail were ignored such was the unhealthy majority which the government enjoyed
FG and FF or FF and FG need to coalesce in Government. The enmity is merely historical and cultural. They are both right of centre parties and they are almost identical on the neo-liberal economic policies which they espouse. It’s time for FG and FF to stop the pretence and to get on with forming a Government.
A young TD will not see that because she is immersed in the anti FG culture of her party, the tribal traditional enmity with the competitor. It will require more experienced politicians to wake up to the attraction of Ministerial salaries, Ministerial pensions and the perks of high office.
Again, you are falling for spin.
Any coalition had to be approved by a majority vote at a special FF Ard Fheis.
The members decide, not the parliamentary party.
There’s absolutely no chance of members approving a deal that allows FG into Government after campaigning against them in doors.
The PP won’t have the opportunity to get themselves ministers positions as you insinuate.
She obviously appealed to the stupid voters, who are in the majority.
“Chambers believes Micheál Martin has done “an unbelievable job” as Fianna Fáil leader”
Enough said, another leech TD to add to the collection
The bleach blonde and the 747 come to mind
Only just elected and already telling people what they want, nothing ever changes within FF. FF and FG can’t have it both ways being in governments and being the biggest opposition party. Vote management and negative media bias have saved FF but only in the short term. I may not Agree with how the Mayo people voted but I have to respect their decision. With two FF and two FG it seems all the loot from the lotto, all the money spent on tourism projects and the tens of thousands spent to improve enda Kenny image has saved Mayo from the austerity other county’s had to bear. Get what you can while it’s going will not be forgotten by those who are suffering while Mayo parties.
You’d have to wonder what possible question could FF be the answer to.
Who ruined the economy?
Lisa .. how about some real hard graft now and legislate for fair Car Tax Law.
Sign this Petition if you agree that:-
It is grossly unfair, unjust and offensive that Irish car owners of older pre-2008 cars are subsidising the road tax (and water tax) of those who can afford new cars! https://www.change.org/p/unfair-car-tax-law
The whole mess here is blamed on F.F then this past government made it worse but the fact is the Troika played the people especially the IMF.
John Perkins, Former Advisor IMF said the following recently…
“My job was to identify countries with resources that corporations covert, like oil and then arrange a huge loan to that country from the World Bank or from one of its sister organisations. The money however would not go to the country, it would go to our own corporations who would make huge profits, but the majority of the people would suffer terrible as a result, because money would be diverted from Education, Healthcare and other Social Services to pay interest on the debt.”
What happened when the IMF moved in and the debt couldn’t be repaid?
“We go back into that country and say, since you can’t pay your debt, sell your resource oil or whatever real cheap to our corporations without any environmental restrictions or, or social regulations. Privatise, sell your electric utilities, your water, sewage systems, your schools, your jails, all your public sector businesses to our corporations, and in the few cases where we failed economic hitman, the jackals went in and still do and aah, they either assassinate the leaders of the country or overthrow them in coups.”
Yes I agree the road tax on cars pre 2008 is scandalous it is hitting at the poor people that cannot afford to buy a newer car
have your say