Sharon Keogan condemns failures on migration and child safety
Sharon Keogan addressed two recent tragedies: the murder of a young man who fled war in Ukraine and the alleged rape of a girl who ran away from a Tusla centre. She said both incidents were entirely preventable and accused the state of failing on migration and child safety.
Summary of incidents
Keogan described a young man who fled war in Ukraine and was murdered within four days of arriving in Ireland with "unspeakable brutality." She also reported a girl who ran away from a Tusla centre and was allegedly raped.
Criticism of Tusla and official statements
Keogan criticised Tusla for declining to say how long the girl was missing from care and for highlighting the victim's behavioural issues - a response she called unacceptable. She said official explanations amounted to silence and denial in the face of serious harm to children.
Concerns about missing children and oversight
Keogan said the state has no clear picture of how many children are missing from Tusla care or how long they have been absent. She warned that children are not safe either under Tusla care or outside it.
Migration, IPA centres and community warnings
Keogan said communities have raised concerns for years about IPA centres, citing City West - where the rape took place - and argued the state lacks basic information on who is entering the country, where they are staying and for how long.
Calls for accountability
Keogan said the government has had years of warning on both migration and child safety and described the failures as total and condemnable. She said any government with decency would resign en masse, though she did not expect that to happen.
Context and consequences
Keogan framed both incidents as preventable failures of state systems, stressing that warnings were repeatedly ignored and that the consequences have been fatal and devastating for victims and communities.
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Today I rise with a heavy heart to address two tragedies that have taken place in our nation over the past week. A young man flees war in Ukraine and within four days is murdered with unspeakable brutality in Ireland. A girl runs away from Tusla Centre and is allegedly raped. What do these have in common? They were entirely preventable. They highlight two areas in which our nation has failed totally, utterly and objectively. Migration and child safety. But what is utterly condemning is that this government has now received years of warning in both of these areas. For years I have been trying to raise the issue of children who go missing from Tusla. And for years communities have been raising their fears over the presence of IPA centres. Communities such as City West where the rape took place. And their response? Silence and denial. Let's look at what Tusla's own statements. First off, declines to mention how long the victim was missing from care. And then, second, points out that the poor girl in question had significant behavioural issues. As if that would be any excuse for what has happened to her. How dare they? We seem to have no idea how many children are missing from Tusla care. Nor how long they have been missing. Likewise, we seem to have no idea who we are letting into this country and how long they are staying and where. And when a real refugee from a war zone comes to our country, we put them in a room to be stabbed a hundred times. And if they try to run away to the streets, they're raped. And we now live in a nation where the children are not safe under Tusla care. And they're not safe outside of it either. Any government with any sense of decency would resign en masse of such outrages. But I won't hold my breath in this chamber for that to happen. Thank you.
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