Fresh from introducing child protection reform in the Dublin archdiocese, Philip Garland faces other hurdles in the HSE, writes JAMIE SMYTH
THE GOVERNMENT needs to change the way it deals with children’s rights and should guarantee life-long support for people who grow up in State care, a senior HSE director has said.
Philip Garland, assistant national director for children and families at the HSE, also warned that current Government policies towards unaccompanied children who come to the Republic to seek asylum could be “racist”.
“One of the problems is that if you are an Irish child you are protected under the Childcare Act, because when you hit 18 years of age the State continues to look after you. But if you are an African or Chinese child you are sent all around the country by the refugee agency – away from all the support structures and people you know in Dublin,” said Garland, who took up the post with the HSE last November.
Garland, who worked for the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin for six years before being appointed to his current post in the HSE, said there needed to be a change of culture in how the State and the church dealt with children in the Republic. Appointed by Cardinal Desmond Connell to deal with the clerical child sex abuse in the Church, he introduced child protection reforms in the Dublin archdiocese.
“One of my main goals was to ensure that this could never happen again by putting safeguard mechanisms in place. These are now in place in 200 parishes around the country,” said Mr Garland, who is currently overseeing a HSE audit of child protection policies in all dioceses and among all religious orders.
He said the HSE audit report would be given to Government next month. He confirmed the dioceses had complied with the new audit, but he refused to comment on the position of the religious orders.
The church was strongly criticised for not complying with a previous HSE audit in 2009. The Ombudsman for Children also criticised the HSE for its failure to conclude the audit effectively.
Mr Garland praised the current Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, who has faced criticism from some priests over his handling of the Murphy report.
“I think the way Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has handled the fall-out from the publication of the Murphy report is spot on. The guy stood up to the plate on his own and in the absence of collective leadership and he addressed the issue. I admire and respect him for that,” said Garland, who acknowledged that change can cause resentment.
He said he faced similar problems at the HSE.
“I’m experiencing resistance now in the HSE. Change means challenging the status quo. That causes anxiety for people and can lead to resistance to change. The challenge is to stay focused on what is in the best interests of children. I believe if you stay focused on the best interests of children then reasonable people will come with you,” he said.
The challenges for the HSE were huge because of inconsistent structures, systems and practices across its 32 local health areas, he added. This can only present risk and had to be addressed.
The organisation also faces financial challenges. “Everything in the HSE at the moment is about cutting spending, slashing spending, but in my area we are increasing costs,” said Garland, who cited the recent deal to provide carers in hostels for separated children.
Garland said he had asked the office of the Minister for Children Barry Andrews to pass new laws guaranteeing lifelong State support to all children who are brought up in the care system.
“I want the State to change the legislation on aftercare for over-18s. For kids in care who don’t have stable parents I want the State to become a parent for life. Its about a change in legislation and a change in culture,” he said.
Under the Childcare Act, Irish children have the option of accessing aftercare services from the HSE until they are 21 years.
Garland said many of the 5,900 people in State care may still need support when they are 40 or 60, not just between 18 and 21 years.
He said the proposed children’s rights referendum should help to embed children’s rights in everything the State did.