Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I raise the threat that Children at Risk in Ireland, CARI, will be forced to close after 34 years as the only national child sexual abuse agency. It has been told by Tusla that it will fund only 30% of CARI's over €1 million operating costs for 2024. It cannot fundraise enough to cover the rest. Therefore, unless the amount is increased, it will face closure.

Child sexual abuse is not simply an historical problem. In the first half of 2023, there were nearly 4,000 cases of suspected child physical or sexual abuse. CARI is a national organisation providing, for example, outside Dublin long-term therapeutic supports – it is the only one doing so – to children aged three to 18 affected by child sexual abuse and their families. It desperately needs this funding. This is a crucial issue for children’s well-being. Will the Government provide the funding so CARI can have a five-year plan, provide for fundraising into the future and put itself on a sustainable footing?

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