Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak to this very important debate on child protection and the urgent need to put child safety and the protection of children at the top of the political agenda. This issue is far bigger than party politics and I urge all Deputies to unite and support all the recommendations of the Ryan report, the annual report of the national review panel on serious incidents, including the deaths of children in care, and all the voluntary and community organisations which support the rights of children. That should be the theme of the debate today and so far it seems to be going in that direction.

Child safety and quality child protection are the most important issues in this debate. The next most important element is having quality, interested, caring and committed staff. We can discuss legislation and reports but if the right people are not doing the right job the problem will not be solved, something which has been an issue in the past and with which I will deal later.

It is not just about getting university points and recruiting highly academic people into social work positions. We need the right people with high professional standards at the front line of child care and protection services. I say that as a person who worked for 26 or 27 years in the north inner city on the front line of child care. I saw teachers, social workers, juvenile liaison officers and female gardaí at work. The right people at the right time can save a lot of children and lives. However we do not need people who want to have a trendy career. They should get out of the sector.

When it comes down to saving and protecting a child I would prefer to have one good foster family than an institutional care situation. The children in stable families in foster care who attended my school were the best survivors. Every day was a very sad day for those in institutional care. A boy of seven years of age left school every day with tears in his eyes, which was heart-rending. It is important that we say that in the debate today.

We have to deal with resources and referendums but the first issue is front-line staff. I understand approximately 6,250 young people are currently in care, an increase of 900 over the past couple of years. It is a frightening statistic. That is the bad news. The good news is that many children in care live with outstanding foster families and receive stability, love, warmth, energy and affection which is saving them from ending up in Mountjoy Prison in the future. Such a system saves the taxpayer money. We have to put our hearts and minds into the psychology of the child in care.

I ask all Deputies to imagine how they would feel if they ended up in a care situation at five, six or seven years of age. I taught and worked with some of these children. When one sees the sadness in their eyes and their desire for warmth, affection and stability, it is heartbreaking. On the other hand, it is hugely encouraging to observe the turnaround when they receive the care they require. Early intervention is key if we are to make a change in these children's lives. Strong family support in foster homes and strong adoptive families provide the stability that is needed to save these children. An issue that has not yet been raised in the debate today is that of children with disabilities in care. These young people are doubly vulnerable in terms of their care needs and in regard to the risk of exploitation. Parents who have adopted or fostered a child with a disability are patriots - exponents of child protection patriotism - who deserve our thanks and commendation.

At this stage, I am becoming frustrated and annoyed with all of the various reports that have been commissioned. I encourage the Minister to get on with the job. She is well versed in the issues to be addressed and there is cross-party support for many aspects of her vision. We do not need any more reports; it is now time for action to safeguard the welfare of the 6,000 children in State care. We must get the right people in place and ensure best practice is being implemented.

The Minister said earlier that almost 99% of children in residential care have now been allocated a social worker, with 96% having a written care plan. That is welcome progress. However, it is not merely a numbers game; it is about the quality of staff working on the front line. The same applies in respect of other caring professions, including nursing and teaching. It should not be all about educational qualifications and points obtained. We must ensure that all staff working with children at risk not only have the qualifications but also the personal qualities that make them suitable to do the job.

In light of revelations in recent years, it is trendy to have a go at the church. The church has certainly failed on the issue of child protection, but so too has the State. It is not often acknowledged in this House that people working on the front line of child protection have also failed. I do not accept what is sometimes claimed in the newspapers, namely, that people did not know what was going on. It must be acknowledged that front line care staff have made mistakes. There was a failure on the part of the church, the State and the staff working on the front line of child protection.

This is an important debate. I wish the Minister well and look forward to her delivering on her commitments in the next 12 months.

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