Sir, - Christine Buckley, who was raised in Goldenbridge Orphanage and featured in Dear Daughter, prompts me to raise questions concerning her article in The Irish Times, "Putting children last", about the new Children's Bill. How will the electorate react to £40 million of taxpayers' money being invested through this Bill? What is the goal of this Bill?
As quoted in a letter to the editor last week, some additional costs are £50,000 a year per child, 10-15 years of age in the reforms school, Trinity House, plus £75,000 a year for a teenager in St Patrick's, another reform school. The latter amount is the annual salary of a teacher responsible for a classroom of students. Could these vast sums be put to better use by educating, nourishing and cherishing our disadvantaged youth?
Could courses be arranged for parents and carers to train them in their parental responsibilities and proper parenting? How about environmental studies for our children in crises? They could clean up our streets, care for the elderly, participate in remedial sports, arts and crafts to assist them in gaining self respect for both themselves and others.
Our children are the foundation, and backbone of a free "Island of Ireland," i.e. "free" from begging, drugs and crime. They are our country's future.
As implied in Christine Buckley's article, it is the community care workers who know the children best after the parents. Why, then, were they not invited to contribute their knowledge and experience in the preparation of the new Children's Bill?
It seems to me that since this Bill appears to be doomed, before it is even passed and enacted, isn't this tantamount to flushing £40 million plus of taxpayers' money down the loo? Yours, etc.,
MA, Adjunct
British Dyslexia Institute,
Hudson Road,
Glasthule,
Co Dublin.