The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs today met survivors of institutional abuse and care providers in London.
Barry Andrews first met leading UK child-protection expert Lord Laming at the House of Lords and then went to Islington and Camden to meet with survivors of institutional abuse and care providers.
The Minister said his meeting with survivors "gave me the opportunity to listen at first hand to the unique experience of those who left the country".
"I heard raw accounts of survivors' experience in care and life after care. Those who attended the meeting spoke of their difficulties in forming and keeping relationships. They were concerned that outreach services would continue to provide them appropriately into the future,” he said.
The Taoiseach has asked Mr Andrews to draft an implementation plan to give effect to the 20 recommendations of the Ryan report on institutional abuse by the end of July.
On meeting Lord Laming, Mr Andrews said: “I wanted to meet with Lord Laming as I was struck by the similarities in terms of challenges for social services for children in care in both jurisdictions.”
"He outlined a number of experiences that will inform my consideration of the Ryan report. In particular, he stressed the need to follow up inspection services with implementation and to intervene at the earliest possible opportunity with families in crisis.”
The British Government published Lord Laming’s report on child protection services in England following the "Baby P" tragedy.
In May, three people charged with allowing for causing the death of the 17 month-old child were jailed for terms ranging from three to 12 years.
The child was found dead in a cot in August 2007 having suffered a broken back and fractured ribs. He had more than 50 injuries despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over eight months.
