When the interests of service providers take precedence over the rights and needs of their clients, public trust is undermined. This divergence in priorities took dramatic form in the CervicalCheck scandal. But its effects on the lives of vulnerable adolescents, as outlined in successive reports by the Ombudsman for Children Niall Muldoon, have yet to be addressed.
Muldoon’s frustration over the sub-standard services being provided by the HSE to suicidal children comes though in his annual report. He itemises a shortfall in the number of consultant psychiatrists; the persistence of nine-to-five service contracts and an absence of out-of-hours emergency care in seven counties. Poor administration is not confined to medical care. An Oireachtas committee was told on Wednesday that psychiatric services in Wexford and Waterford would be withdrawn because of resignations arising from unsafe working conditions and outdated buildings.
More >> The Irish Times view on child welfare: Insights into State failings
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