Pringle: Government choices are failing vulnerable children
- Updated: 18th July 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said Government choices are failing vulnerable children, as he called on Government to prioritise addressing their urgent needs in the upcoming budget.
Deputy Pringle said: “This past week, The Irish Times reported that the health service is unprepared for the worsening impacts of homelessness on children, and the Ombudsman for Children expressed ‘despair and serious concern’ at recent reports on children in State care published by the Child Law Project.
“The Irish Times spoke with a consultant at Temple Street children’s hospital who said more children are being exposed to more health issues because of spending longer periods in homelessness.
“The consultant said she was seeing the effects of malnutrition in children that are more often seen in developing countries, such as rickets and anaemia. She spoke of the negative impact of crowded, emergency accommodation on children with autism or intellectual disability.
“The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, was responding to reports that spoke of concerns about the lack of appropriate placements for vulnerable children and special care placements for vulnerable young people, as well as the complexities in cases that involve migrant children.
“These reports and the disgraceful failures they document reflect choices Government has made. The Government leaves children in these terrible situations because of those choices.
“The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage monthly homelessness report for May 2024 shows 2,051 families, including 4,316 children, accessed emergency accommodation during the week of May 20-26th of this year.
“These reports show a failure of the government’s housing policy, a crisis in health services, a failure of care. They show the shocking failure of Government choices that have affected people of all ages.
“Government has important choices to make in Budget 2025 and must ensure as a matter of urgency that there are safe and secure homes and placements for vulnerable children,” he said.
