I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue which has been raised previously in the Dáil. I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Hanafin, for being present to respond.
This week in the High Court Mr. Justice Peter Kelly said that the State's record on troubled children had "descended to new levels of farce". He was concerned about a situation where a 13 year old and a 14 year old boy were placed in hotels. He was informed that there were no places available for them for months. He said that he would not lend the court's approval to the detention of troubled children, some of whom have a propensity to violence, in a less than secure facility. He also said that he had grave concerns about the security of other hotel guests.
As the Minister of State is aware, that is but one in a series of cases about which concern has been expressed. I will give the House other examples which illustrate that residential child care is in crisis. A troubled 13 year old boy was held in a Dublin Garda station for five days. A teenage girl was detained at the Central Mental Hospital. A 15 year old boy was forced to sleep in Pearse Street Garda station, while a 14 year old spent a number of nights in Waterford Garda station. It is clear that young people who are most at risk are staying in a variety of accommodation, including Garda stations, bed and breakfast establishments, hotels and psychiatric hospitals instead of the high care secure facilities in which they should be placed which offer good therapeutic help. I ask the Minister of State to explain to the public the numbers of children at risk who are being placed in such accommodation. Can she explain to the public the reason places are not being provided and when the Government intends to provide them?
It is clear the situation is unacceptable. There have been crises in many sectors, whether it be the agricultural sector or others, which can be responded to by Government. Why is this not being regarded as a crisis? Why has an emergency package of measures not been announced to deal with it? We have a national children's strategy, but it rings hollows when the day-to-day position facing some of our most vulnerable people is exposed in this way. Action can be taken which could make a difference.
I am sure that the Minister of State will indi cate that residential child care is going through a difficult period. Staff working in this front-line area must be adequately rewarded and supported and trained. New initiatives to recruit and train staff must be put in place. I refer the Minister of State to Austria where this issue has been tackled. Many people want to work in this area, but they must have the supports in place to enable them to do so. In Austria, for example, appealing courses have been put together. Support has been given to workers in this area which means there is no shortage of workers willing to do this difficult work.
We have a problem which must be tackled. The Government and society must recognise the invaluable work child care and residential workers are doing. There is no doubt that for too long social services have been the poor cousin. Just as we need careful planning to implement infrastructural investment, we need careful planning to implement services for children. We need the equivalent of the national development plan for children. If there are barriers to providing secure places, such as finding suitably qualified staff, I ask the Minister of State to take further action and obtain the support of the Government to remedy this problem. Nowhere is the need for a co-ordinated approach more urgent than in relation to children. We know many of the reasons many children are vulnerable and we also know many of the consequences if they do not receive help, therapy and appropriate intervention. It is a political imperative that we take decisive action. We must not wait for the next crisis in placement to emerge in this area.