Zappone concerned about waiting list for sexual abuse services

The Minister for Children Katherine Zappone is to question the newly appointed Minister for Health on waiting times for children who need to access sexual abuse assessment services.

The discussion follows concerns highlighted during a recent court case in which a child in care who disclosed sexual abuse to a foster carer faced a six-week wait before assessment at a child sexual abuse unit.

Best international practice states a child who discloses abuse should be assessed as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours.

The court case also raised issues around the multiple interviews children undergo with separate bodies, including gardaí and sexual abuse units. Best practice is that a child is interviewed by one person and the interview is recorded.

Child care services are under the remit of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which answers to Ms Zappone. However, sexual abuse services for children are under the control of the HSE, answering to Minister for Health Simon Harris.

Reduce waiting times

In a statement to

The Irish Times

, a spokeswoman for Ms Zappone said the Minister would raise waiting lists with Mr Harris to “ascertain the current situation and any plans to reduce waiting times where these are excessive”.

In a recent briefing to Ms Zappone, Tusla said it was leading a “multi-agency process” to implement a “national service model” for sexual abuse services for children. This will ensure “streamlined” services and a child- centred point of view, it said

The agencies involved include the HSE, Garda, the Children’s Hospital Group, the Probation Service and the charity CARI. The service model will have four regional specialist centres providing assessment and therapeutic services with links to community-based therapists. The plan is being implemented “on a phased basis”.