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Child Protection And Welfare

girl with hands on ears

In 2017, Childline received over 20,000 contacts in relation to abuse and violence and over 3,000 calls in relation to substance use and abuse.

The majority of contacts to Childline come at night, when children have no access to social workers and may have no-one else to call. The ISPCC has highlighted the need for Irish political leadership to acknowledge the uncomfortable reality that some children in Ireland today do not feel safe in their homes.

The organisation continues to call for 24-hour social work services to be made accessible to children and young people across Ireland. The ISPCC also continues to campaign for the implementation of a number of recommendations as set out in the report published in May 2017 by the Government’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, of the audit into the use by An Garda Síochána of their powers under Section 12 of the Childcare Act; that is, the use of powers to remove a child believed to be at risk to a place of safety.