That is only the number of children that are coming to the attention of the Hse…..its frightening to think of all the children who are suffering neglect and under the radar.
Additionally, with such a high number, why are there not more prosecutions of neglectful parents?

That’s an astonishing number…..What number constitutes a crisis? For me I would have thought anything over a couple of hundred a year! Anyone know how this number compares every year back to 1980? or even how it compares as a percentage to other countries?

Disaster result, if a young person gets expelled from school in this country, the onus is on the state to provide them with an alternative education, so we provide one hour home tuition, the government is ignoring to fund a school in cork who have been funded by the christian brothers, they look after 50 early school leavers voluntarily on a full time basis, unless the school gets state funding it will close. Its called the Sunday’s well life centre. The state is failing our young people, especially those at risk.

Its a pity the pro-life crowd dont put their money where their mouth is and start fostering and adopting these kids.

That’s extraordinary!!

That figure could be slashed if we had a proper family support service tasked to work with families to prevent children entering the care system. We are not very good at preventive measures. Child protection urgently needs to be taken away from the HSE. Few children return home mainly because the HSE doesn’t work to support families to parent their children.

Cllr I don’t work with these kids or have first hand experience with their plight but what I see in town where I work makes me feel extremely sorry for the children left with their parents while “every effort is made to keep them together”. Drug addicts and alcoholics dragging small kids around the city centre at ridiculous hours, screaming at them and pulling them around the place. I feel terribly sorry for those children being left in those situations because it gives them a very disadvantaged start to life

The most astounding thing about this,is that nobody is asking Why??????????

To put those figures into some kind of perspective, 10,000 were removed in the UK in the same period which was a record year. There was uproar in the UK and significance of this event is lost on the Irish.

Did the Irish suddenly become a nation of child abusers?

Are we neglicting more children?

Did the population of Ireland suddenly burgeon to 40 Million?

In a 3 year period from 2004 to 2007, the numbers taken into “Care” TRIPLED, supposedly during a time of “Shortage of Social Workers”. They didn’t have time to visit the children already in their “Care” but had more than enough staff to prosecute families?

If you look at the crime statistics, child abuse or neglect has not increased in decades, so what is the justification for the increase? Increased poverty maybe? that doesn’t make sence, you cant take a child into “Care” simply because they are poor. It would be far cheaper anyway to pay rent subsidy and welfare to the family than pay the 25 or so “Professionals” who make money for children coming into “Care”. The Baby P Effect maybe? Baby Peter died in 2006, the numbers were already increasing in 2004.

Or is this just a Manufactured Crisis by the Child “Protection” Industry?, just like it was in 2004. When they created the “Shortage” by 2007, the Govt responded “poor overworked social workers” and added another 260 (not being a conspiracy theorist here but didn’t 260 children die in “Care” in a decade). They were quick to point out that the Republic has less social workers than Northern Ireland but neglected to mention that there are more children in “Care” in Northern Ireland than anywhere in the UK.

The crime statistics just don’t support the theory that child abuse or neglect justifies this astonishing increase, there were about 6500 in “Care” last year and now there are about 8,800 not including the 20,000 or so Supervision Orders which have probably also increased. I have to say “about” as 500 are missing from “Care” in a decade. What’s astonishing is that judges grant orders in 100% of cases but return the chilodren when the case is heard in full in over 60% of cases. Social Workers are less than 40% efficient at their jobs according to judges.

This is the only growth industry left in Ireland, it has doubled in size in a decade. It costs more than €580 million a year and the overworked Guardian at Litems (many employed by children’s charities) are raking it in. I disagree that GAL’s represent the voice of the children, most people will tell you that they are just another social worker working for the HSE against families.

I predicted this a few years ago, the more social workers the more children in “Care”, wait until it’s 50,000 and the budget is €1 Billion. If you think it’s bad now just wait until the Children’s “Rights” Referendum when parents give up the right to determine “Best Interests” for their children and then Families will be become obsolete under the United Nations agenda.

We are a nation of sheep in Ireland, we let the Govt walk all over us, just wait until they come for your child.

My daughters were taken in 2010 on false allegations of “emotional harm” , an ex-parte hearing later and my parental rights were consigned to the rubbish tip , yet no criminal charges were brought …, i owned a very succesful buisness so poverty was not an issue , i did however refuse that they get vaccines on 2 different dates prior to the removal of my children , this can’t happen in Ireland ?, check out Claire O’Sullivan… , this is a huge for profit industry and is growing month after month , as the previous comment by Joe Burns asks “Why is nobody questioning the surge in numbers of children been trafficked ” .., come the referendum this autumn regarding childrens rights and as i expect the passing of it we will see numbers of families destroyed and countless children turned into cashcows to feed this plauge , there can be no justice in Family Court while the in-camera rule is adhered to, it’s criminal, a parent is guilty as soon as social services gets involved , all it takes is a phone call from a disgruntled neighbour to lose your children

We need to have a national child protection unit that only receive referrals after every effort has been made to work with families to prevent children coming into care. Obviously sexual and physical abuse cases would be referred and prioritised when identified. Other agencies need to be involved such as the Gardai and information needs to be shared in relation to intelligence and the enforcement of section 12 orders. Every effort should be made to prosecute offenders of abuse but unfortunately due to our laws the courts direct that when a child is taken into care they must be given access to their parents or other relevant people as soon as possible. These could also be the abusers. This results in the child being coached and prosecutions for abuse very hard to achieve. In other countries case conferences are called within 24 hours of abuse allegations being made . In ireland it might take weeks or months. We also have a shortage of child protection social workers yet the judges demand that Guardian at Litems are attached to cases and are paid €120 per hour and for every phone call they make. Effectively they can write their own pay checks and the Hse pay for this .The Hse pay millions every year to an outside legal firm to represent social workers in court yet they have Hse employed lawyers. If each social work team had a legal executive attached to their team it would save a massive amount of money each year.

hy cllr steve Wrenn ,
i totaly agree that the HSE don t work with the famillies. i know first hand how they work as we have had our child taken from us . they have no concret evedance and are comitting pugery in courth but as we are on the dole and have no money to back us up all door are beeing closed in our faces here is my email and if you could help us in any way that would be great y-langan@live.co.uk we have tryed every thing that we could think of but with no success please if there is any one out there that can help us get our child back thanks

Hi Helen

I agree with you . if you ever see or know of any child that you are concerned about the best thing to do would be to contact the local Garda station or if it’s not an emergency but your still concerned you should contact the local Hse health centre. If you have no joy call me on 087 2744249 and I will make sure your concerns are dealt with appropriately.