How vulnerable children were put at risk by Ireland’s state care system

A large provider of accommodation for children in care, Ideal Care Services, has been found to have put young people at risk by failing to carry out proper background checks on staff.

The company run by Jossy Akwuobi (45), from Tyrrelstown, Dublin, and his partner, Karen Akwuobi (39), has already been paid €9million by Tusla, the child and family agency.

The lack of proper vetting and qualifications emerged when Tusla stopped relying on “assurances” from companies providing services for vulnerable children and set up an audit to investigate.

An internal Tusla report found Garda vetting files clearing staff to work for the company had been altered, while pre-employment checks of workers had been “fabricated”. The report, completed last July, said the standard of checks carried out on prospective care staff were found to be “grossly inadequate to safeguard vulnerable young people”.

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So who is evangelical pastor Jossy Akwuobi, and how was such a lack of oversight allowed to go on? Irish Times reporter Jack Power broke the story and explains the background.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.