Victor Boyhan: Unregulated, State-Funded Care Exposed
Victor Boyhan used his Dail time to draw attention to RTE's investigation 'Investigates Inside the Care System', airing tonight at 9.35. He flagged firsthand accounts from young people and systemic failures, including state-funded but unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs).
RTE Investigates has spent the last year inside the family law court system documenting an unfolding crisis in the care of Ireland's most vulnerable children. The documentary features evidence of children remaining in psychiatric units because no residential placements were available and describes arrangements run by private operators outside regulatory oversight.
Boyhan highlights that young people will speak in their own words about time spent in adolescent psychiatric units and the lengthy impact of being kept in unsuitable settings. He thanks producer and director Linda Murphy for bringing these testimonies to public view and stresses the value of hearing directly from those affected.
The address singles out Special Emergency Arrangements, or SEAs, as a central concern: state-funded placements in rented apartments, B and Bs, hotels and other private facilities that are unregistered and cannot be inspected by the regulatory authority. Boyhan links these revelations to recent debates on the Mental Health Bill and wider welfare concerns.
Boyhan calls the situation a shocking indictment of a system that has been allowed to persist and urges members of the Dail and the public to watch the programme to understand the scope and human cost of the failures in the care system.
Investigation details
RTE Investigates has spent the last year inside the family law court system documenting an unfolding crisis in the care of Ireland's most vulnerable children. The documentary features evidence of children remaining in psychiatric units because no residential placements were available and describes arrangements run by private operators outside regulatory oversight.
Personal testimony and accountability
Boyhan highlights that young people will speak in their own words about time spent in adolescent psychiatric units and the lengthy impact of being kept in unsuitable settings. He thanks producer and director Linda Murphy for bringing these testimonies to public view and stresses the value of hearing directly from those affected.
System failures highlighted
The address singles out Special Emergency Arrangements, or SEAs, as a central concern: state-funded placements in rented apartments, B and Bs, hotels and other private facilities that are unregistered and cannot be inspected by the regulatory authority. Boyhan links these revelations to recent debates on the Mental Health Bill and wider welfare concerns.
Why this matters
Boyhan calls the situation a shocking indictment of a system that has been allowed to persist and urges members of the Dail and the public to watch the programme to understand the scope and human cost of the failures in the care system.
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Transcript
Thank you Cathaoirleach and Leader. Today I just want to use my time to highlight that tonight RTE will air an investigation programme titled Investigates Inside the Care System. It's on tonight at 9.35 and why am I highlighting it? I'm particularly highlighting the context of our debate on the Mental Health Bill last week, but other areas of welfare. So just to say that RTE Investigates has spent the last year inside the family law court system documenting an unfolding crisis in the care of Ireland's most vulnerable children. Described as heartbreaking with the potential to cause lasting damage, the documentary tonight will air and we will hear directly from young people who have been through the care system in their own words. I want to take this opportunity also to thank the documentary's producer and director Linda Murphy. Rarely does a public hear from young people who experience a care system under increasing pressure, from staff shortages to mounting condemnation from the judiciary over its failure to meet its lawful obligations to protect children in care in this state. A teenager that you will hear tonight will talk about how he spent months in an adolescent psychiatric unit. You will recall many of us discussed this issue last week. When he no longer needed the treatment, there he had to remain in the psychiatric unit because as Tousla says, and again this will be outlined tonight in the programme, they had no residential placement available for him. Controversial care homes known as Special Emergency Arrangements, SEAs for short, such an arrangement means that these children will be placed in accommodation and are being placed in accommodation to facilitate them. These are provided by private operators including rented apartments and houses, B&Bs and hotels. However, these are unregulated and unregistered private run facilities that cannot be inspected by the regulatory authority. I conclude, Leader an go héirleach, yet remarkably these SEAs are state funded from Tousla's budget. It is a shocking indictment of a system that we have allowed go on and on in this state. I would urge every member of this house to tune in to this documentary, Primetime Investigates, at 9.35 this evening. Thank you.