Sir, - The question of accountability and where it rests needs to be clarified in relation to the "abuse of children in the care of the State. The Irish Times (May 10th) stated in quotes from the Madonna House Report that "childcare workers and others must accept that employment in a professional capacity brings certain responsibilities." Does appointment to a position bestow professional status on the employee in another article, on the same page of The Irish Times, Owen Keenan states that the Madonna House Report shows (and I quote) "that only two out of the 41 child care staff were professionally qualified and more than 50 per cent of the staff had no qualification". Who is at fault in this situation? There is a danger that the finger might be pointed at child care workers but how can professional child care workers influence practice when totally unqualified persons, working as child care workers. remain in the vast majority?
As far back as 1970 a key recommendation of the Kennedy Report was that all staff working directly with children in residential care should hold a professional qualification in casework. However, the Madonna House Report yet again illustrates that the Eastern Health Board chose to use as its principal emergency child care centre a facility that was shown to employ only two professionally qualified staff out of a total of 41 staff.
How many more reports do we need to have before it is recognised where the real blame lies? The Eastern Health Board, as an agent of the State, is responsible for any abuse of children in its care. Therefore it must be seen to be held accountable when acting as the legal parents of vulnerable children. Surely it is time to ensure that the care of these children is placed in the hands of appropriately qualified and experienced staff (as recommended 26 years ago in the Kennedy Report). Failure to act on this issue will continue to put at risk the safety. of the children in residential homes in Ireland. Yours, etc.,
Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology,
Rathmines House,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.