New report exposes need for change in Ireland’s child protection system

A report is to be published this morning addressing the major downfalls of Ireland’s child protection system.

The report was commissioned by An Garda Síochána after they wrongfully took two Roma children into care over unfounded claims that the pair had been abducted back in 2014. The report will examine the use of Section 12 of the Child Care Act which allows gardaí to remove children from their family's care when they believe the child is in serious and immediate risk. It has found that many officers were not trained adequately with regards to procedures after a child had been removed from their home.

"It is the duty of every individual to do their best to protect children and young people and keep them safe." pic.twitter.com/7LVzVIFraC

— Katherine Zappone (@KZapponeTD) May 22, 2017

The document is also said to take aim at the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, for their dealings with gardaí. The report highlights that there are serious faults in the basic functions of the agency and says communication between them and the gardaí is ‘ineffective’. The agency’s out-of-hours social work is also facing criticism after it was found that some children were forced to wait at hospitals until they returned to work, and others felt they had no other choice than to return to the homes they had been taken from. Some 5,400 cases between the years 2008 and 2015 were examined.