THE latest Department of Health figures for child abuse show that almost 6,500 cases were reported last year. About one in three of these cases were confirmed.
Ms Augusta McCabe, a social work adviser with the Department of Health, told the ISPCAN conference there were fewer than 200 cases reported in 1979.
The figure increased each year as Irish people became more aware of child abuse, said Ms McCabe. "The first official statistics we have come from 1979. The trend has been for a steep and gradual increase in both reported and confirmed cases.
Generally, about a third of the reported cases of abuse were confirmed.
In 1995, about 2,300 cases, including emotional, physical or sexual abuse, were confirmed.
Ms McCabe said the emergence of child abuse "into the light of day" was an indication of a community being able to face up to old taboos, and to allow a darker picture to emerge.
She said that deliberate changes were brought about by "landmark" events, such as the publication of reports dealing with inquiries into child abuse scandals. Also, people's attitudes were changing, including their awareness and knowledge and expectations of the system.
A willingness to admit problems, she said, created a demand for a quality service from the professionals for those in need.
"To be effective, provision of services in the future needs a clear vision and professionals and administrators working together to ensure the best use of resources. Resources are finite, and their effective management is the key to creating an effective service.
"The word which needs to become more common in our vocabulary is `quality'".
She said it was not possible to provide a quality service in the social welfare system "if quantity is the prime mover".
She added: "The fear that lies behind the need to carry a big caseload must be relieved if workers are to provide a quality service. And this is a task for everyone."