There has been a large increase in cases of abandonment of a child, child neglect and cruelty in Ireland, according to new CSO figures released today.
In 2016, there were almost 100 more cases reported, compared with 2015 figures, according to BreakingNews.ie.
167 cases of child neglect, abandonment and cruelty were reported in 2015 and a shocking 261 cases were reported in 2016.
This 56 per cent increase was recorded in crime figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
New @CSOIreland stats show 56% increase in child abandonment neglect & cruelty @Tanya_Ward quoted in @breakingnewsie https://t.co/HAYXtTs3NC
— ChildrensRights.ie (@ChildRightsIRL) March 29, 2017
However, the increase could be down to an increase in social workers, rather than a sudden increase in neglectful parents, according to Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children's Rights Alliance.
She says: “It’s a very stark increase and it would suggest that suddenly there has been a big increase in child abandonment and neglect against children.”
“But actually if we look behind those figures, it could relate to the fact that we have an increase in the number of social workers, who are responding to child protection referrals through Children First and who are also doing assessment of needs of children and families in their homes.”
Ms. Ward is a children's rights champion, who has previously highlighted the rights of homeless children and children living in direct provision.
The good news is that the authorities and child advocacy services have made taken steps to help vulnerable children recently.
The Gardaí recently launched a 24/7 helpline to assist children who are victims of sexual abuse.
This helpline is certainly overdue as it comes five years after an initial recommendation by the Garda Inspectorate.
The telephone line is free and confidential, with specialist operators fielding the calls back to local garda stations.
The ISPCC welcomed the helpline, saying it was a “real step forward.”
Childline have also launched an app that provides counselling to children who might not be able to seek it elsewhere.
The “For Me” app aims to help children and young people access help through their mobile phone.
This groundbreaking app was developed in partnership with Barclays Bank, and allows users to chat one-on-one with a counsellors, and access the "Ask Sam" problem pages.
There is also a personal area on the app called "Private locker" that users can use to track their mood and write down their thoughts and feelings.
For those who want to interact with other users of the service, the app also offers access to Childline's message boards, where young people can support each other.
We hope more time and resources will be dedicated to helping vulnerable children and that we will see a decrease in abuse and neglect cases soon.
