Sir, - The Murphy report into Irish swimming offers us some of the starkest insights yet into the nature of child sexual abuse. Its recommendations outline cultural changes that need to take place within the Irish Amateur Swimming Association to safeguard the protection of children, changes that also have an important broader application.
One of its recommendations is that counselling and/or a helpline be maintained by the health boards for adults who have been abused in swimming. As is now nearly universally acknowledged by those involved in childcare - including the incumbent Minister of State - our childcare services are woefully under-resourced. Our health boards do not have the capacity to adequately deal with the investigation of cases, let alone offer comprehensive post-assessment therapy and counselling services for those who have experienced or who have been affected by child sexual abuse.
At the CARI Foundation we are offering such a service for children, families, and groups who have been affected by sexual abuse. We do not receive any statutory aid for our core services and are reliant on our own fundraising efforts and generous donations.
I have found it exasperating on occasion to listen to the cacophony of political voices - as has been the case over the past week - demanding that more be done to help the victims of sexual abuse. We are at a stage where our services cannot expand and indeed may have to contract due to lack of funding. Does the Government care? Do politicians really care? Or is it simply a case of knee-jerk reactions and political platitudes? - Yours, etc., Jean Manahan,
National director, The CARI Foundation,
Lower Drumcondra Road,
Dublin 9.