8 September 2016
NEWS
C
HILDREN are more than twice as
likely to end up in care in one region
of the country as they are in another,
official figures from the child and
family agency Tusla have shown.
The records show that the number of children
ending up subject to care orders is significantly
above the national average in the HSE South
region.
There were 614 care orders in the South
during 2014 – which ended up higher than two
of the other regions (Dublin Mid-Leinster and
the West) even when combined.
Over half of those care orders, 320 in all, were
in the city and county of Cork which meant that
out of the 1,632 children to enter care in that
year, almost one fifth were in Cork when the
country makes up just 11% of the Irish
population.
Detailed analysis of the figures on the basis
of population aged under 17 bears out the stark
difference in rates around the country.
On a national level, 142 children per 100,000
ended up in care during the course of 2014. How-
ever, the rate for the HSE South was significantly
higher at 209 and the rate significantly lower in
Dublin Mid Leinster where it was just 81.
The other two regions – HSE West and HSE
Dublin North East – were closer to the national
average and stood at 125 and 158
respectively.
Professor Pat Dolan, a childcare expert from
NUI Galway, told Village that ultimately care
orders should develop a consistency across the
country but that “supply and demand” was still
playing a major part.
He said:
“If you look back in the eighties, we really
only discovered child sexual abuse and there
was a massive increase in referrals after the
Kilkenny incest case. Was there suddenly a pro-
liferation of abuse of children? Or did we just
become much more aware of referring it into the
garda and social work systems?
There are trends in
this. The other main
factor has to do with
availability of service.
If you take residential
care, the more chil-
dren’s homes you
build, the more you
fill.
There is an issue of
understanding this in
terms of services
available. The more
[children the services] can see, the more these
numbers will go up. If you have waiting lists, the
numbers stay down - that doesn’t mean the
cases aren’t there.
But if you buy a Panadol in Cork, it should be
the same dosage as everywhere else. It should
be the same in terms of service provision. It
should be the same regardless of where you are
but the one thing we know is that it’s not”.
Professor Dolan, who is Director of the Child
and Family Research Centre in NUIG, said unu-
sual spikes like this were not uncommon and
that after high-profile cases of abuse referrals
could suddenly rise.
Similarly, highly publicised cases of abuse in
care settings could have the opposite effect and
lead to a reduction in the number of children
being placed.
He said that while poverty was a key factor –
the country also tended to concentrate services
of this type in areas that are more deprived.
He said; “What is the level of abuse in middle
and upper class Dublin? It’s not policed as much
from a social perspective. [So the question
becomes] is there far more abuse in one area, or
is it just that we are looking much more closely?
“It’s a problem and provision issue. In some
areas, you have more social workers seeking
care orders in some communities. It’s almost
like a siege for them but you would wonder why
this is the case in Cork”.
Nationally, 1,632 children were taken into
care in 2014 with over two-thirds of those cases
involving a voluntary admission.
There were 163 cases - around 10% of the total
- involving emergency care orders and another
198 where interim care orders being used.
One case involving a detention order of the
High Court was also recorded.
The figures – provided under FOI – were also
listed according to age, with the largest number
of cases, 231 in total, involving babies of twelve
months or less.
Significantly, of those cases – over 100
involved some form of care order and only 130
were by voluntary admission.
By comparison, of the 118 cases involving
children of eight years of age, 100 of those were
a voluntary admission where a parent had given
consent.
In a statement, Tusla said:
“Children and young people are referred into
[our] Child Protection and Welfare Services in
each of its four regions (West, South, Dublin
North East and Dublin Mid Leinster).
The rate of referrals is affected by a range of
factors in each region including, but not limited
to, population, demographics, deprivation
levels, addiction issues and the level of sup-
ports available, e.g. family support services.
These can in turn be affected by the social
and economic history of the region.
unexplained
disparities in
care orders
Two-and-a-half times as many in
South as in Dublin Mid Leinster
by Ken Foxe
Supply and demand
are still important.
The more [children
the services] can
see, the more these
numbers will go up
Based on Census 2011 figures for population of 0-17 year olds
Dublin Mid Leinster
Population Care Orders
Rate per 100,000
of population
324,955
South 292796
Dublin North East 258569
West 272367
Total 1148687
266
614
411
341
1632
81.85748796
209.7023183
158.9517692
125.1987208
142.0752564
Statistically significant anomolies

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