VULNERABLE children at risk of abuse are still being failed by the state, opposition parties last night warned.Fine Gael children’s spokesperson Alan Shatter said it was scandalous that the report into the endemic culture of child rape in religious run institutions still needed to recommend to the Government it fully implement the provisions of the Children First protection proposals from 1999.
The guidelines deal with how allegations of abuse and neglect of children should be handled and are still not in place across the board.
"Despite their being in place for 10 years there has been an abject failure on the part of the Government to ensure the guidelines are properly applied. It is inexcusable that it is again necessary for such a recommendation to be made. The report also recommends that childcare rules and regulations be enforced, breaches reported and sanctions applied and that management at all levels should be accountable for the quality of services and care. These are areas that have not simply been ignored, but deliberately avoided by this Government," he said.
Mr Shatter also attacked the religious orders involved in the systematic abuse of children for persisting with a culture of denial.
"It is scandalous that even at this stage in the context of the information disclosed that some religious congregations, such as the Christian Brothers and the Brothers of Charity, whilst acknowledging that some abuse took place in institutions for which they were responsible deny congregational responsibility for such abuse. This is so even where it is clear that known abusers were moved from one institution to another and reports of abuse were covered up," he said.
Sinn Féin Dáil Leader Caoimhghín O Caoláin said children were still subject to State neglect.
"The Church and the statebear huge responsibility for what was done. The Government must implement the report’s recommendations to alleviate or otherwise address the effects of the abuse on those who suffered. It must also implement the recommendations to prevent where possible the incidence of abuse of children in institutions and to protect children from such abuse," he said.
Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe said guidelines were under review.
"The Children First guidelines make very clear the reporting and investigation mechanisms to be followed in cases of suspected child abuse wherever they occur, and the lead role of the HSE. The national guidelines are currently being reviewed.
"Unfortunately, we cannot undo the wrongs of the past. However, as a responsible and caring society, we must fully face up to the fact that wrong was done and we must learn from the mistakes of the past.
"I would like to pay special tribute to the victims for the courage they showed in coming forward and recounting their experiences through what the report acknowledges was clearly a very painful process," he said.
Labour’s children’s spokesperson Senator Alex White called for the scale of compensation paid to victims to be reviewed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Source (IE)
SV (3)