Vulnerability of Homeless Children comes through in their own words

“When you’re in care for that first time, you’re all over the place … and … one thing that needs to stay the same is the place you stay in … You get depressed over it because you feel ‘Does anybody care?’ … You don’t feel like someone is caring over you. And no matter how old you are – people don’t admit it, but it’s true – you need someone to care for you …”

Child who participated in the Children’s Ombudsman’s consultation

“The vulnerability of being homeless was one of the most striking things to emerge from the consultation with homeless children undertaken by my Office”, said Emily Logan. The Ombudsman for Children made her comments on the publication of her report Homeless Truths: Children’s experience of homelessness in Ireland at the Aviva Focus Ireland event to mark International Day for Street Children today (Thursday).

The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) is the independent national human rights body with responsibility for promoting and monitoring children’s rights in Ireland. Part of the Ombudsman for Children’s statutory mandate set out in the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002 is to consult children on matters of concern to them and to highlight their views.

The children who took part in the consultation spoke candidly on matters such as accessing homelessness services through Garda Stations; placements; accommodation; activities during the day; and relationships with professionals and peers.

Emily Logan added: “None of the children were focused on buildings or physical structures, rather what having a home represented – dignity, self-esteem, feeling safe and secure. This is what really mattered to them.

“As Ombudsman for Children I have a responsibility to encourage public bodies to consider children’s rights and welfare when developing policies and practice. Considering the views of children, actual service users, can only enhance such policies.

“I also have a statutory obligation to hold the State to account for the way it provides services to children. At present my Office is holding over a systemic investigation on the provision of homeless services by the HSE. When I initiated this investigation last year the HSE responded by saying they were taking steps to mitigate the situation. On this basis I made the decision to suspend the investigation to allow the HSE to make these improvements while providing my Office with regular updates on progress made. This process is ongoing.

Emily Logan concluded: “As the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights observed, significant problems of homelessness and inadequate housing also exist in some of the most economically developed societies. The issue of youth homelessness is a very serious one that can have a profound, life-long impact on the individual. It is up to us in Ireland in 2012 to decide how we proceed.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The issue of youth homelessness has come to the attention of the OCO through the Complaints and Investigation function, and has been dealt with on a case by case basis and has been reported to the Oireachtas through previous annual reports.
• The issues participating children were consulted on were identified through the OCO’s work on youth homelessness in the context of the Office’s complaint-handling function.

Contact: Nikki Gallagher at 01-8656803 or 086-8163246

• 12 Aibreán 2012
• Cineál: Preaseisiúint
• Ábhar: Tithíocht