‘Our country’s alcohol epidemic is putting our children in danger’

IRELAND is suffering from an alcohol and addiction epidemic that’s putting children at risk, a leading child law expert has said.

Dr Geoffrey Shannon carried out a two-year investigation into the removal of children from their families by the State and discovered that parents’ addiction to alcohol often plays a major part.

On one occasion, Dr Shannon learned that a two-year-old child was removed from its family after it was observed drinking from an open can of beer, meanwhile, another parent was seen throwing her child into the air like a ball while she was drunk in a fast food restaurant.

The report, entitled Section 10, which was published last month, involved Dr Shannon speaking to dozens of gardaí around the country.

Speaking at the Joint Committee of Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Shannon said his report on Section 10, which are the powers used by gardaí to remove children from their families without a court order, was his most important piece of work to date.

‘One of the biggest challenges is the adverse consequences for many children of parents who abuse alcohol and drugs.

‘It is very damaging on children, the failure on the part of society to properly address the alcohol problem. I’m conscious of the fact the Public Health Bill is being discussed. It is a national crisis. If there is anything to emerge from this report, it is the fact of our ambivalence toward alcohol and the ambivalence towards those who promote alcohol – and the consequences are devastating.’

Dr Shannon highlighted 91 cases of children who were removed under Section 10 and placed into the out-of-hours foster care system.

Dr Shannon called for more cooperation between the different agencies involved in taking children into care, saying there was an appalling lack of communication between them.

He also said it was too early to have confidence in reforms to protect children from abusive homes, adding that he wants to see a plan for the Government to follow up his recommendations.

He said: ‘Confidence requires a timeline in terms of implementation and it would be unfair and disingenuous of me to say that I have confidence until such time as I see a timeline.’

He added: ‘I urge this committee a year from this date, to invite me back to give an account of what has happened during the intervening period.’

The Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone, has announced a plan to implement recommendations in Dr Shannon’s report.

‘Consequences are devastating’