HSE record on unaccompanied minors a national disgrace
Issued : Tuesday 9 February, 2010
Statement by Senator Ivana Bacik
Senator Ivana Bacik, speaking today in the Seanad, expressed her welcome for the comments of Philip Garland, Assistant National Director for Children and Families at the HSE. Mr. Garland was critical of the HSE’s record in providing care for unaccompanied children seeking asylum in Ireland, warning that the State’s policies on such children could be regarded as “racist”.
Welcoming Mr. Garland’s apology for the inadequacy of care offered to unaccompanied minors by the HSE, Senator Bacik said: “We know that in the past ten years, over 500 children have gone missing from HSE care having arrived in Ireland seeking asylum and unaccompanied by any adult.
“This figure alone shows the appalling inadequacy of the accommodation provided for these children by the HSE. In most cases, they were put into hostels without any adequate adult supervision, particularly during the night-time – and were thus extremely vulnerable to exploitation or abuse.
“I welcome Mr. Garland’s announcement that from now on carers will be provided in the hostels, and I am very glad that it is proposed to close the hostels by the end of the year. However, that will not help the hundreds of children who have already gone missing from State care and have never been located. The failure of the State to provide any sort of adequate care to these children is nothing short of a national disgrace.”
