Difficulties Facing Children In Direct Provision Not Always Reported As Parents Afraid Children Will Be Taken From Them

Saturday, 1 May 2021 11:16

That's according to a volunteer who works with people living in direct provision in Cork

Roos Demol, CEO of International Community Dynamics, who says that people living in these facilities have become so institutionalised they're afraid to speak out about the realities of their situation.

It follows a study by the The Ombudsman for Children which found that staff were not trained in child protection, despite assurances that they had been, while parents were wrongly warned that their children may be removed by child protection services if they did not supervise them properly.

Speaking to RedFM News Roos Demol says children should not be living in these conditions:

"That's a very, very true statement and I hear it a lot. People do not want to complain about anything, first of all. The fear of having social workers taking their children away is absolutely real. It is totally wrong. Children should not be living in those circumstances. It should never have happened. It should be abolished as soon as possible."