Written Answers. - Child Prostitution.
Ivor Callely
Question:
25
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of reviews or surveys carried out on children in prostitution; the total numbers that have been identified in the Dublin area; the progress, if any, made on this issue by the various voluntary and statutory authorities dealing with these children; and the official communication between all the authorities to channel information in this regard.
[5674/98]
Ivor Callely
Question:
48
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the percentage of children involved in prostitution that have experienced or are experiencing homelessness; the other issues that are understood to be contributory factors; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5673/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 48 together.
Some limited research has been undertaken on the issue of child prostitution in Ireland. The following are details of studies on the issue which I am aware of:—
— Towards an investigation of prostitution among homeless boys in Ireland, John Leinster, Trinity College Dublin, 1991.
— Street Children Report, Barnardo's Dublin 8, December 1996.
— Children on Inner City Streets in Dublin, Barnardo's Research, 1997.
— Report of the Working Party on Children in Prostitution, Eastern Health Board, 1997.
— Prostitution in Waterford city — A Contemporary Analysis Niall McElwee and Kevin Lalor, 1997.
The Mid-Western Health Board is currently preparing a report that will assess the nature and extent of prostitution in the region; identify the risk factors that affect both young people and adults entering into prostitution; and make recommendations, in consultation with other statutory and voluntary agencies, for services to address the needs of those who are likely to become involved in prostitution, those who are currently involved and those who wish to leave. The report is due to be finalised in April.
There are no accurate figures available on the extent of child prostitution in Ireland. However, a recent Eastern Health Board working party investigated the scale of the problem in the region. The survey identified 47 children and ten young people aged 18 or over who were involved in child prostitution at some stage.
In the North-Eastern Health Board region community organisations and health board staff have identified a problem in relation to the sexual exploitation of children in the Dundalk area and the board has initiated meetings with all relevant agencies in the area to discuss the issue including the Garda, the Local Authority and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The board has also commissioned an expert on the subject of child prostitution from the United Kingdom to come over to the region and discuss the issues in a multi-disciplinary and inter-agency forum. Following the launch of the research on prostitution in Waterford city, a working group, which has health board representation, was established and the South-Eastern Health Board is awaiting its findings.
The Southern Health Board is currently examining the survey carried out by the Eastern Health Board with a view to conducting a similar exercise in its area. Within the board there are linked groups examining prostitution, for example, the sexually transmitted diseases clinic. In addition, a Garda based in Cork has special responsibility for this area.
It is important to view the activity of children engaged in prostitution in a child protection context. As such, reports of child prostitution are subject to the 1987 child abuse guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Children and the 1995 procedures for the notification of suspected cases of child abuse between the health boards and the Garda. Health boards are aware of the risk to young people. Any relevant information is relayed to the Garda and I am aware that the Eastern Health Board and the Garda have worked together successfully on specific cases in the past.
In its review of available literature and taking account of the clinical experience of the staff in St. Clare's unit in Temple Street, the Eastern Health Board report noted that, among the pathways into child prostitution are combinations of the following factors: sexual abuse in childhood, leaving home at an early age, having a history of child abuse, having parents with histories of involvement in prostitution, growing up in a criminal sub-culture, sexual confusion-orientation problems, and being "groomed" by paedophiles.
A very significant finding from the survey carried out by the working party in the Eastern Health Board was that 46 of the 57 children identified as having an involvement in child prostitution, that is over 80 per cent, either had, or were, experiencing homelessness.
The central recommendation of the report was that sufficient numbers of quality placements should be made available which children could readily access and the board is acting on this recommendation. The board is continuing to develop family placements, including additional carer families and supported lodgings, for teenagers and it also plans to develop three localised emergency residential facilities in suburban areas over the next three years.
As a further measure, late in 1997, my Department approved additional funding of £100,000 to the Eastern Health Board to assist in tackling the backlog of fostering assessments. Plans are also advancing for a day-and-night reception centre in Dublin city centre to facilitate homeless young people in accessing Eastern Health Board services. It is intended that young people wishing to access the out of hours service will go to the centre instead of a Garda station as is currently the case. The centre will also have six beds to accommodate young people who are unable to access more regular placements and will provide a gateway to specialist services such a medical, psychiatric and drug treatement.
The Eastern Health Board report also recommended that more formal links need not be established between all the voluntary and statutory services to maximise communication, co-operation and co-working. Responsibility for this recommendation and the remaining recommendations rests with the Eastern Health Board and working group plans to meet again in June 1998 to review the progress of the implementation programme.
Of course the ideal solution is to prevent the drift of children into prostitution in the first place. The range of early intervention services to young people at risk including neighbourhood youth projects, the day project for out of home young people, after school projects, after care services in child care and family support services generally all serve to reduce the risk of involvement in prostitution by young people
