Not again! Why outsource loving care children need?

ENDA KENNY’S Dáil soliloquy on Wednesday, during his last bout of Leaders Questions – in which he basically advised his successor ‘don’t let the b ****** s grind you down’ – reminded me of Charles J Haughey’s speech when he resigned as taoiseach 25 years ago. Quoting from Othello he intoned: ‘I have done the State some service, they know it. No more of that.’

Whatever about politicians writing their own epitaphs, they will be well rewarded for their service. But there is one public figure this week who truly deserves the Othello accolade and that’s Dr Geoffrey Shannon, the Government’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection.

This week he produced a 350-page report, commissioned by the gardaí, on their use of Section 12 orders, the part of the law invoked when children are in immediate danger and must be removed from their parents or guardians. Be in no doubt that, in all his work over the years – from the Adoption Board to his many academic papers and books on children – the credentials and independence of Dr Shannon are impeccable. His report is meticulously researched, clearly laid out and superbly written.

Every citizen in the country should read at least 14 pages of it, the section where he details 72 cases where gardaí dealt with children in grave danger, unfortunately from their own parents.

Alcohol and drugs were involved in many of these horrific cases. Young children were often found wandering outside at night, or else in distress and at home alone.

Gardaí are legally obliged to remove children immediately from places of danger. In my previous life as a social worker I remember our busiest time was Friday afternoon when you often tried to get to court to remove children to a place of safety for the weekend. It seems little has changed.

If anything, the State and its agencies have outsourced the issue. As Dr Shannon points out repeatedly, when gardaí urgently seek help with children in distress they have to turn to private organisations such as independent fostering agency Five Rivers, which the State contracts to find places of safety in emergencies.

While there is no doubt about the firm’s professionalism, Dr Shannon believes the situation is unsatisfactory. ‘This vital job should not be outsourced to private providers like we did with the Church in days gone by,’ he said.

But that is exactly what happened. This needs to change. No doubt it’s complicated. A union official told me recently that the demoralisation in the public service over pensions and cutbacks means every change in how things work requested by the State is put off until the next round of talks.

In other words proposed changes become bargaining chips. All the international research shows that educating and linking to young mothers is the key to helping children in difficulty. Working with lone parents through education, community groups, local employment and services is vital. But these are the services that were hit badly during the last, lost, decade.

The new Taoiseach’s first task must be to read the Shannon report – and then act. Dr Shannon, a public servant, has truly done the State, and its children, some service.