Sir, – Following the cruel and cowardly attempt on the life of a social worker in Portlaoise (News, January 3rd), I and the members of the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland.
Social workers across the island of Ireland work day in and day out to support, safeguard and empower some of the most vulnerable people in society. It is a job our members love because they see the positive change they make in the lives of others.
The hateful act carried out against our colleague could not stand in starker contrast to the constructive work she was undertaking.
We condemn the perpetrators in the strongest terms.
Throughout the Troubles many social workers across the North worked in an environment rife with intimidation. Only recently our colleagues in the Probation Board for Northern Ireland received threats from dissident republicans.
We are currently working in partnership with academics at Queen’s University Belfast to document the experiences of social workers during the Troubles. It is of the greatest importance that the tragic violence of this period is not repeated anywhere, in any form. – Yours, etc,
COLIN REID,
Chairman,
Northern Ireland
Association
of Social Workers,
Douglas House,
Ormeau Road,
Belfast.