Children in Care

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Tuesday October 31, 2006 16:30

by C Murray

90% in foster homes according to Mr Lenihan

10% are not.

Of that 10%- There is a disparity in the care of Irish Children and in the caring for
Children who are separated from their Parents becuase of the Asylum Process.

Of That 10%- The reports say that there is an increasing use of restraints.

Of that 10%- No home has been found for them

Mary Rafferty in the Irish Times published an appalling indictment of the State approach to
care of the most vulnerable in Irish Society.

Lenihan was last seen in Geneva being carpetted because the rights of the Child are not
transposed into our constitution- though we signed onto it.

The rights of the child to care and nurture are being neglected by the State.

The State homes have been found to habitually use 'Restraints'.

'Minors' , for example, ended up on Hunger strike in St Pat's Cathedral.

One attempted suicide.
One self-harmed.
One said 'They are coralling us'

Children born in this country before the legislation change on Naturalisation
have citizenship. Their mothers do not. Many are separated from their Parents.
Some end up in State care. Some do not. The ones who do not are not spoken
of in this report, which insists that there is a difference in the quality of care
afforded to the children separated from their parents in this manner.

Mothers of Irish born citizens are habitually interviewed at the Dept of Justice.
If they do not have a residency on the basis of their marriage , they are subject
to deportation. This happens. The State will separate a family to uphold the
'Law of the Land', these children end up off the radar. Many of the mothers
have lives and friends and supports here. Some have not had the chance
to say good bye to their kids. There is an inequality in the treatment of the
mother and child in this instance. One naturalised by birth- one denied
by virtue of a bureaucratic judgement. Numbers would be reduced if the
families stayed together.

In the meantime the new rules on Romania and Bulgaria further mitigate
against women and children. You can apply for a work permit in seven
years- if you are an illegal, you cannot earn-apply for midwifery, have children.
If you are Romanian or Bulgarian , the message very clearly is: do not get pregnant.

This is happening to the Irish in the United States.

So Lenihan is happy, the numbers are down.
Only 10% of children are in State Care in State Homes.
The old homes are selling well.

The restraint issue can be closely skated over.
The boys who were at the Cathedral are silent and the children of deportees are invisible

Its all about the numbers.