Madam, - John Waters may appear to have been very critical (August 21st) of unaccountable and unfettered behaviour by social workers, particularly when dealing with fathers. However, the documentary on BBC2 the following evening, exposing the systemic misconduct by the social services in Orkney in 1990 where numbers of children were wrongfully removed from their families was a clear-cut illustration of the Stasi-like powers of social services.
The most worrying element of the documentary was hearing (some 16 years later) the instigating social worker still refusing to admit her misdiagnosis, against the overwhelming view of the whole community and the decision of the courts. Her mindset was smug, unchallengeable and unchangeable.
Recently on the Pat Kenny radio show, when discussing changes in the HSE, Prof Brendan Drumm quoted Einstein as saying that you cannot solve a problem with the thinking that created it. In the light of the recent external independent evaluations quoted by John Waters which suggest at best the mindset within social services of non-inclusion of fathers, I sincerely hope Prof Drumm bears Einstein's quote in mind when addressing change in the social and family services. - Yours, etc,
LIAM Ó GÓGÁIN, Chairman, Parental Equality, Dublin Road, Dundalk.