‘Concentration’ of children’s care homes raised at PCSA

Concerns over the “concentration” of residential care homes in Cavan, the number of children repeatedly going missing and the potential for vulnerable youngsters to be “exploited” were all issues discussed before the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA) last week.

Authority member Freda McKetterick, an independent social worker and child advocate with more than 40 years' experience, questioned the safeguards and assessments in place to protect children living in privately operated residential units on behalf of Tusla.

With approximately 6,000 children in care nationally, around 90% of whom live in foster care or other placements, the meeting heard that missing children remain a significant concern for Gardaí and child protection agencies.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly responded by saying that Gardaí maintain “close relationships” with residential care centres, their staff and the children in their areas. Some young people who repeatedly go missing are already “well known” to frontline members and Garda management.

Assistant Commissioner Ian Lackey, Organised and Serious Crime, outlined the system used to monitor missing-child incidents, with every disappearance recorded on the Garda Pulse system and flagged according to the individual risks involved.

Cases are “reviewed daily”, with escalating Garda supervision depending on how frequently a child goes missing.

Asst Comm Lackey said missing children were also a “standing item” at regular meetings between Gardaí and Tusla officials. However, he cautioned against assuming there was one explanation for why children repeatedly leave their placements, pointing to a range of underlying issues.

He also acknowledged that difficulties securing “suitable” accommodation meant increasing numbers of children were being placed in more rural locations. The meeting further distinguished between children who are officially listed as missing and those found absent from their residential placements.

Ms McKetterick questioned whether Cavan and Monaghan were carrying a disproportionate share of the country's residential care provision, raising concerns about the apparent “concentration” of homes across the two counties.

The potential “exploitation” of children who go missing from care was another major issue. Asst Comm Lackey said there was no automatic formal interview simply because a child had gone missing, but stressed that any indication of exploitation is “acted upon”. He said information provided by residential care staff can help identify potential risks, although some children in care are mistrustful of Gardaí because of previous engagements or the circumstances in which they had grown up.

He also confirmed that juvenile records were held centrally, allowing relevant information to be shared when children moved between counties.