The Children’s Ombudsman has criticised the Health Service Executive and Tusla over a lack of records of children with disabilities who are in care in Donegal.
Concerns were raised today over the unclear identification of the number of children in care in the HSE CHO1 area, which includes Donegal.
Ombudsman Niall Muldoon highlighted issues in the working relationship between the HSE and the child and family agency, Tusla, which he said is affecting the supports and services available to some children in care with special needs.
According to the HSE the identification of children with disabilities who are in care is still ‘in progress’ in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan. Dr Muldoon accused the HSE and Tusla of being in disagreement over figures.
The criticism comes a year on from Molly’s Case, a report published by the Ombudsman for Children in 2018.
Molly’s case was centred around a girl with Down Syndrome and severe autism who was abandoned at birth.
Molly was placed in foster care, but her foster family were forced to complain to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) about the level of supports and services being provided by Tusla and the HSE.
It emerged that this was an issue affecting 471 other children across Ireland. The Ombudsman’s office called on both agencies to work together to improve the services being provided to some of the state’s most vulnerable children.
Tusla has now identified 483 children with a moderate or severe disability in their care, but the Ombudsman says the HSE is not in agreement on this figure as they cannot agree on the definition of a child with moderate or severe disability.
Dr Niall Muldoon said: “Since last year some definite progress has been made, particularly for Molly herself but the working relationship between Tusla and the HSE is still of concern. It is not good enough that the HSE still has not identified the children in question.
“These children are among the most vulnerable in the country. Many of them are nonverbal and therefore literally have no voice. Everything possible should be done to plan for these children and to provide the care that they need. We must also ensure that foster carers looking after these children are fully supported and that they are not fighting for services.
“I will continue to monitor these issues for the next twelve months, engaging with both the HSE and Tusla.”
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