Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I share the deep concern and disquiet provoked by the recent BBC documentary "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children". The large number of children resident in state-run institutions in Bulgaria is a difficult legacy of past policies and attitudes. This sad reality must now be addressed and further reforms must be made to protect a particularly vulnerable section of society.

The Bulgarian authorities have been working on the issue for some time. It was a topic of concern that formed part of discussions during Bulgaria's negotiations for EU accession. While some progress was made before accession, concerns were expressed by the European Commission and member states regarding areas where further actions are required. In particular, concerns have been expressed regarding living and sanitary conditions in many institutions. The Deputy can be assured that the EU continues to support the process within Bulgaria to reform this sector. Next year, some €5 million of EU Structural Funds will be directed towards the development of alternative care arrangements for children such as those featured in the documentary.

We have been told that the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is committed to closing the institution mentioned in the documentary and similar ones that still exist in Bulgaria. Since 2001, the number of children in them has decreased by over 30% to approximately 8,500. Of course, this figure is still too high. Ideally the type of care to be provided involves finding relatives or foster families to look after these children. Placing them within a safe, reliable and family oriented environment must be the goal. This need is recognised by the Bulgarian authorities.

A group of non-governmental organisations, working together with UNICEF, the Bulgarian Association for the Protection of People with Disabilities, and the Bulgarian authorities, have drawn up an action plan to deal with the situation at the Mogilino institution. Medical evaluations of the children have been carried out and a group of specialists have provided some basic training to the staff. They plan to assess the needs of the children and provide an alternative form of care. The orphanage will be closed and specialist care provided by the creation of smaller group homes.

A special screening of the documentary took place in Sofia last week and was attended by a representative of our embassy. Attendance at the event also included representatives of the Bulgarian Government, members of civil society, academics, social workers, journalists and foreign diplomats. Children with disabilities and their families also attended. Following the screening of the film, there was wide-ranging debate on the issue. There was general recognition that a quick-fix to the problem is not realistic and that closing the particular institution in question immediately would simply shift the problem elsewhere.

The solution must be well thought out, lead to change across the system and have the interests of the children as the driving force behind it. I understand that contributions made by representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the Ministry of the Interior, indicated their strong support for continuing to work with the NGO sector to bring about real change.

Our embassy in Sofia has regular contact with organisations working to improve the living conditions of the children and young adults in such institutions. A number of Irish citizens and organisations are also involved and the embassy supports them in their work where possible. Over the past five years, the Government has supported NGOs active in Bulgaria in the protection of children at risk and the rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. Organisations supported include the Bulgarian Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

The Deputy can be assured that we will continue to remain engaged and to encourage the implementation of the important reform process. Our embassy has been instructed to seek a meeting at senior level with the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to convey our concerns and to get an update on the situation. It will also inform the Bulgarian authorities of the strong public interest in Ireland, and across the EU, in seeing a dramatic improvement in the standards of care given to orphaned or abandoned children in Bulgaria.

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