How does it support child safety to remove children from their home and parents.
The poor kids must have been terrified
we either support child safety or we dont bother , there was a doubt and the childs interests were prioritised , unfortunate that it was racially motivated but theres far too many dead and missing kids for anyone to be complacent, yes it turned out ok in the end , guards had to mske a call didn't do it for a laugh im sure
It appears to me that everyone acted in good faith. I think the protocol should be developed/communicated/enfoirced that dont remove unless danger. You can park a squad car outside the house, take passports etc. if flight risk is an issue.
So it was a bit heavy handed and the family are due an apology and things should be a bit more sensitively dealt with next time but I dont think we should overreact in the other direction - put it this way would you feel the State has traditionally overreacted or underreacted to child welfare issues?
So I dont think anyone needs to resign or have action taken against them.
I think it's long overdue that the state took a more proactive role in child protection. It is unfortunate that these two cases involved ethnic minorities.
This should result in a good pay off for both families.
It's not that long ago that the HSE and Gardai were being lambasted for not acting when there were allegations of children being at risk.
So in these sort of circumstances, there will always be a risk that whether they act or don't act that they get it wrong. Hindsight is always correct.
So do we now run the risk that the authorities will be less likely to act in future cases, particularly in cases involving Roma, because of the hysterical reaction following these two cases?
What on earth has their being members of an ethnic minority to do with it.
They were children. The guards took them away from their parents for no reason.
This is not child protection, it is state oppression.
I agree. My point is that because of these ham-fisted and stupid incidents the authorities may not act when there is a real risk in the future.
I agree. My point is that because of these ham-fisted and stupid incidents the authorities may not act when there is a real risk in the future.
+1i don't think the bolded bit is true. There was no evidence of abuse or mistreatment in these cases, just fair kids with roma parents, local gossip and racism.
Let's face it, the state's historical and current record with helping vulnerable children is nothing short of detestable. And leading up to these incidents we had actual stories of failure to act in cases of good evidence of abuse. Yet when it comes to a blond child with dark parents, we're in with the battering rams.
It's not fear of another one of these incidents that puts children at risk, it's the utter incompetence of the current system that can be very efficient when it involved the roma community.
So a complaint was made to the Gardai by "a local lady" based on her experience in Estonia. RTE news last night.
So a complaint was made to the Gardai by "a local lady" based on her experience in Estonia. RTE news last night.
My initial reaction was what a farce, but it is much worse, these children were taken from their parents by agents of the state, for no good reason.
I hope that this only happens to Roma and that it couldn't happen to us. Or maybe my family will be ok because we all have a similar shade of mousey brown hair.
Was it from the mother's arms or the fathers that the Gardai dragged the screaming child.
..had this family disappeared after initial contact and it turned out the child was abducted, the authorities would be vilified for not taking action. It's a no win situation.
Of course you are right.
However the fact remains that they got it wrong here. They took a child away from its parents for no reason. What if it was your child.
"When they came for the Jews, I said nothing because I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for the communists, I said nothing because I wasn't a communist.
When they came for the gypsies I said nothing because I wasn't a gypsy."
Well in Ireland today they are taking kids away from Gypsies, not once but twice.
Oh for Gods sake. Comparing what the authorities did with the Nazi's is a bit OTT
As upseting an ordeal that it must have been for the child and family, I would rather the authorities acted for 24-48 hours than risk the child coming to any harm. The child will recover.
If it was my child, I would be angry and upset but not half as upset as I would be if I found out that the authorities had my missing child but let her go.
There are children taken into the care of the State on a monthly, if not weekly basis.
Should all of these cases be stopped on the chance that there may be a mistake made?
It's a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the child.
You are taking it for granted that two things will happen if the state makes a mistake.
1 That this mistake will be recognised quickly
2 That the state will acknowledge the mistake and act accordingly
While both of these things happened in this case, I do not think that they should be taken for granted.
What if they took your child for some reason, then hemmed and hawed and wrote reports for a few years.