Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD. Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called for a comprehensive review of Ireland’s child protection services, both in terms of resources and effectiveness. His call comes as Gardaí begin another search for the remains of a young boy in north Dublin.
Tóibín stated: “It is a shockingly dark reality of modern Irish life that Gardaí are now searching for the remains of two young children who may have been missing for years.
While family breakdown, the housing crisis, and the transient nature of some families undoubtedly make it harder for state services to protect children, there are serious questions for the state as to how children can simply disappear and potentially lose their lives.
It has been suggested that this poor boy may have slipped through the cracks during Covid. The Irish government kept schools closed for longer than any other country in Europe. At the time, we warned that vulnerable children would suffer disastrously without the support and oversight that teachers and schools provide.
After Covid, there was a massive surge in referrals to Tusla. It is deeply frustrating that the government still refuses to hold a full public inquiry into the decisions they made during Covid that caused so much harm.
Our child protection services are now at breaking point. Last year, 96,000 children were referred to Tusla. The agency is struggling so badly that it has become reliant on special arrangements with unregulated and sometimes unvetted accommodation providers. Children are going missing every month, with some being exposed to criminal gangs and exploitation.
Staff are under immense pressure and are burning out. Tusla needs hundreds more staff and an additional €400 million in investment. While 220 social workers will qualify in Ireland this year, the sector needs more than three times that number.
Simon Harris has said he wants Ireland to be the best country in Europe to be a child. For too many children, the reality is sadly the very opposite.”