Childrens Ombudsman Finds Children In Cork Halting Site Live In Rat Infested Conditions.

Monday, 24 May 2021 20:20

FIle image: Ombudsman for Children, Niall Muldoon/RollingNews

Report highlights council failures to address problems over time.

Children living in a Cork City Council run halting site say they often sleep under damp blankets because the electricity goes out.

A new report from the Childrens Ombudsman has looked into living conditions there, and highlights a number of failures by the Council to address problems.

'It's like we're forgotten.'

The Ombudsman for Children's Office investigated the living conditions for children on a local authority halting site.

Read our new report, No End in Site, here: https://t.co/c4oH8uu8uk pic.twitter.com/I9eMYmLwgk
— Ombudsman for Children (@OCO_ireland) May 24, 2021

One boy told the researchers that he sometimes skips school because it's too cold for him to leave his bed.

Another child says they use puddles as their play area, but Breda O'Donoghue from the Traveller Visibility Group says the water is diseased:

Read our new report, No End in Site, here:https://t.co/c4oH8uLJlS

We investigated the living conditions for children on a local authority halting site. pic.twitter.com/RDVKo6wjnl
— Ombudsman for Children (@OCO_ireland) May 24, 2021

Breda O'Donoghue says the children sleep in damp conditions because the caravans are in a poor state:

We investigated the living conditions for children on a local authority halting site.

Read our new report, No End in Site, here: https://t.co/c4oH8uu8uk pic.twitter.com/OKNtgUmtzW
— Ombudsman for Children (@OCO_ireland) May 24, 2021

The report claims that 'careless and undesirable' admin work has resulted in 'serious risks' for the youngest members of the community.

Breda O'Donoghue says these conditions are impacting on the children's health: