The Limerick charity says there are 128 sexually abused children on waiting lists

LAST November, based in Limerick CARI, a child sexual abuse charity, was at the door Closure, but while their Their financing is now stable for 2024, waiting lists cannot be managed without further financing.

CEO Emer O’Neill welcomed confirmation that Tusla will provide them with €775,000 for 2024.

“We now have financial stability for the year, which is a huge relief for staff and the children and families we serve,” Ms O’Neill said.

The charity faced closure in November after failing to secure stable funding for the coming year. Ms O’Neill says what was essentially a funding crisis has now been averted “for now” and thanked everyone they worked with in Tusla.

“However, the reality remains that there are still 128 children who have been sexually abused on waiting lists for our care. “In addition, there is an urgent need to expand therapy services for victims of child sexual abuse and their families in all regions.”

“We have worked closely with Tusla this year to implement the findings of an independent review of our operations. The review focused on creating financial stability for 2024 and recommended a number of cost-saving measures. These measures have resulted in some staff redundancies, a reduction in client therapy services and the closure of our dedicated helpline. We would like to reassure the public that we continue to offer telephone support services on 0818 924567 Monday to Thursday.

“Unfortunately this year we will also have to close our outreach service in Wexford, which is at odds with our mission to expand services to victims of child sexual abuse across the region. “CARI believes that no child should travel long distances to receive the treatment they need,” said Ms. O’Neill.

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According to the charity, there is evidence that the longer a child has to wait for treatment, the more severe the impact will be. According to Ms O’Neill, children can wait up to two to three years for support.

“Some children are effectively being denied proper treatment because they are too far away to access specialist services. Without this support, children who are victims of sexual abuse are more likely to die prematurely in adulthood from illness, disease and suicide. This comes at enormous cost to these individuals, families, communities and the state.”

“At CARI, we understand the journey a child takes to heal from sexual abuse. In the beginning, they feel insecure, scared, have trouble sleeping, eating, or concentrating in school, and are in a constant state of stress even when they are physically safe.

“With CARI’s support, children begin to feel safe, trust those around them and find their voice,” said Ms O’Neill.

CARI says the reality is that therapy services for children victims of sexual abuse need to be expanded to “all regions” across Ireland. Existing services operate in Dublin, Limerick and via Barnahus West in Galway.

Ms O’Neill says CARI, like other charities, is struggling to fill budget gaps by raising money from the public.

“People find it very difficult to talk about the horrors of child sexual abuse and this puts them off getting involved in our fundraising efforts. It may be easier to think of it as something that happened in the past rather than in the here and now. In addition, victims cannot speak for themselves and their families cannot come forward and jeopardize their children’s privacy.

“In the best interests of children, families and communities, the Government must take a strategic approach to the delivery of care at regional and national levels. To this end, we need open and honest discussions with government about how we can reduce waiting lists and provide outreach services for children in the regions.”