Child care and direct provision accommodation

June 25, 2012 at 8:01 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

In all the fallout and response to the Report into Child Deaths there was a failure to recognise one of the most visible instances of institutional child neglect and abuse in Ireland – our direct provision accommodation system. This system has many echoes of the system described in the Ryan Report. Children are confined with their families and other families and adults in over-crowded, inappropriate long-term accommodation with inadequate supports. The mental health consequences are well documented. This is happening in plain sight, right in front of us and yet it barely merits a reference in public debate. Dealing with this issue would be one measure of our commitment to genuine childcare. See the Report by FLAC as one insightful reference on this issue:

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