The government is only willing to have a debate on the issue of child protection when it is politically charged, Meath TD Peadar Tóibín has told the Dáil. It comes as controversy continues to boil over the Niall Ó Donnghaile inappropriate texts scandal.
“The last number of weeks have been shocking to people,” Deputy Tóibín said.
“The scandals that have emanated from Sinn Féin daily have been incredible. The conviction of an ex-Sinn Féin press officer, Michael McGonagle, for child sex offences has horrified people. The incredible way that it was handled is stunning.”
Mr Tóibín said that there is not the “necessary cop-on, common sense and decency” for two very senior individuals in the press office “not to have done what they did is amazing.” The Aontu leader said he felt it was “incredible” that the necessary protections were not in place to prevent that “when their judgment failed them.”
The TD said that it was “shocking” that politicians were only having a debate on the issue of child protection in the Chamber “when it is politically charged,” telling the House: “There is significant hypocrisy bouncing off the chairs of this Chamber today.”
He continued: “I feel sick to my very stomach that we only get a debate on child protection when it is in the context of the political events that have happened in the past two weeks. I have looked around the Chamber at the Government benches and have seen people who have not been here for weeks. I see them chomping at the political bit.
“I see tweets from Regina Doherty, MEP and press statements from Deputy Ciaran Cannon and the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has condemned Sinn Féin for what they have done but people should not be fooled into thinking this Government is concerned for the well-being of children around this country. “
Deputy Tóibín said he was frustrated because over the course of the last five years, he had raised the issue of child protection in the House, only to be “stonewalled” by Ministers.
“When I table general questions, I am told that they are too vague and cannot be answered. When I table detailed questions, I am told they are too specific, that individuals could be identified as a result and they are not answered,” he said.
“When Tusla or An Garda Síochána release information it is often intentionally complicated and convoluted, making it impossible to decipher. In some cases, Tusla and An Garda Síochána have given me documents and both are completely contradictory. I watched the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, ram legislation through this House that greatly reduced the penalty for criminal exploitation of children. He was enabled in doing so by the Opposition, as well as Government backbenchers, who did not bother to show up for the debate.”
The former Sinn Fein TD went on to refer to statistics released to Aontú in response to parliamentary questions showing that nearly 200 children who were either in State care or known to the State have died in the past decade.
“Of this number, 38 died by taking their own lives, while more died from drug overdoses. Eleven of those deaths were murders, which means that 5% of all of the children who died in State care or who were known to State care services were murdered. That is an incredible figure, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree.
“We know that the number of children who are being referred to Tusla now on an annual basis is almost at 100,000. This is double what it was in 2018. To put that in context, about 60,000 children are sitting their leaving certificate and right now we are referring 100,000 children on an annual basis to Tusla. “
The TD said that trafficking sexual exploitation and human trafficking was happening in Ireland at present “on a serious scale,” involving children in State care and those known to State care services.
“In other countries this would be a national scandal. The resources of those countries would be marshalled instantaneously to deal with the issue on a comprehensive basis and there would be accountability. There would be resignations at the very top.
“When I brought up the issue of hypocrisy, some of the Ministers and Ministers of State opposite had puzzled, quizzical expressions on their faces but I will get to the specifics of this now. Special emergency accommodation arrangements, which consist of unregulated accommodation in this State, mostly by third-party providers in rented accommodation, are being used by Tusla to accommodate children in State care.”
The Deputy also referred to reports in the media showing that there are “serious questions” in relation to the vetting of people working in the area and the providers of those special emergency arrangements.
“There is a shortage of foster placements coupled with a consistent underfunding of private and voluntary sector services, which has made Tusla more reliant on those dodgy companies to protect vulnerable children. Children in State care, particularly residential care, are being left hugely exposed.
“Child sexual exploitation is the biggest form of human trafficking in Ireland at the moment and is happening in real time among children who are supposed to be in the care of the State. In recent years a number of people have tried to expose this but because of the way the courts work and the in-camera rules, it is virtually impossible to expose the fact that the Government is letting down these children.
“I can give one example of where this was exposed. We had a courageous judge, Judge Dermot Simms, who raised his head above the parapet. He wrote a damning letter and gave three reports to the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman. Shockingly, the Minister has confirmed to Aontú that he shredded those reports on the basis of GDPR.
“Three reports that outlined the horrendous experience of children in State care in this country were written by a judge and given to a Minister. The judge got permission to put the information into those reports from the people concerned and he redacted their names but the Minister for children felt more responsibility for GDPR rules than he did for the protection of those children. That is an absolutely damning indictment of the actions of this Government.”
Meanwhile, Tipperary Independent Mattie McGrath said that the statements in the Dáil on Wednesday represented “brinkmanship and showmanship from the Government trying to get one over on Sinn Féin.”
“It was as naked and blatant as that. When there are children in State care, children who have gone missing and children who have been failed by Tusla and by the Government, the Government should be ashamed of itself for trying to score points.
“Whenever children are abused or there is wrongdoing, it should be condemned. I heard Deputy McDonald and I compliment her on her statements on the issue. I want an investigation into Tusla’s involvement, or lack of involvement, in many issues but particularly in the family court in the case of a four-year-old boy whose custody was given to his father.
“That man was sentenced last Friday to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to neglect and impeding the apprehension of the person he knew to have murdered the child. Think about it; it is shocking. If we had any moral compass in here, we would not be allowing this to go on. The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, is protecting Tusla at all costs. It is a shocking situation.”