There have been improvements in the provision of child-centred services over recent years. A Minister of State for Children now attends Cabinet meetings. An Ombudsman for Children has been appointed. And efforts have been made to co-ordinate the various services provided by different departments. Spending has also increased significantly. But, in spite of everything, vulnerable children remain at serious risk and their treatment is an affront to civilised values.
As our Social Affairs Correspondent Carl O'Brien wrote, in the aftermath of the Government's self-serving presentation to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, there is a "yawning chasm" between political aspiration and the delivery of essential services. Earlier this year, an official study found that those regions of the State with the highest number of children in care have the lowest level of family support. And health authorities are not meeting their statutory obligations to provide sufficient support for families and children in crisis.
Brian Lenihan, the Minister responsible, has worked hard to move these issues up the priority list at Cabinet. But, lacking the political clout of his senior colleagues, he has had limited success. And, with a general election approaching, the political focus is likely to swing further away from the most vulnerable and marginalised group in our society.
Ireland still has one of the highest child poverty rates in Europe, in spite of administrative improvements and our economic success. Ten per cent of children go without proper food or warm winter clothing. Young people are still sent to adult prisons. Mental health services are inadequate and practically non-existent in some areas. And parents of children with disabilities or developmental problems find it extremely difficult to access speech and language therapists. A lack of planning and funding in education has seen a growing number of primary school children being housed in sub-standard accommodation within Dublin's commuter belts. And the situation is likely to get worse. Pre-school facilities, where they exist, are hugely expensive and inadequate.
High-quality family support services are vital in any civilised and progressive society. They cost a considerable amount of money. But that investment in the future can be repaid many times over in terms of better-adjusted and creative citizens. Economists tell us that growth rates are likely to slow after 2007. That is all the more reason to invest now in those services which will have a long-term and positive influence on our society.