A National Children's Trust to raise public awareness of children who are at risk was announced yesterday by the Minister of State for Health and Children, Mr Frank Fahey.
The trust, with the aid of public and private funding, will support research into the causes of disadvantage among children, according to Mr Fahey. "This is a new and important step in addressing the long-term needs of children at risk in our society, while at the same time raising public awareness of the plight of severely neglected children."
He said it was almost impossible to assess the work being done with these children at the moment, to discover whether duplication existed and exactly how many children needed assistance.
A database would be set up to show the size of the problem. He said an example of the problem's extent was that in the Eastern Health Board area there were 4,000 homeless children in the nine months to September last year.
"For policy-makers there is very little quality data available on the extent of the problem. We have got to set about putting in place a proper research programme and information collection programme to finance and carry out this work."
He said the trust would increase the funding available to many of the groups who already operated in this area. It was also vital to extend the long-term agenda "of care for children at risk, to enhance existing programmes and to act as umbrella body to provide financial support and advice to new or existing organisations".
Mr Fahey said he was confident of receiving funds from the private sector for the trust. "There is much interest amongst people in the private sector to donate money. The trust puts it on a national, long-term footing."
The chairman of the committee to establish the trust, Dr Thomas Mitchell, provost of Trinity College Dublin, said a trust facilitator would be appointed soon to work with the committee on strategic aims and financial targets.
"Research into the experience of similar trusts in other countries will be evaluated and a database of relevant information will be compiled. Once all options have been carefully assessed, the committee will establish a core mission and the deeds of the trust will be drawn up."