From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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On Monday 30 January 2023, Roderic O’Gorman Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, together with Simon Harris, Minister for Justice, launched the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Project “Support the implementation of the Barnahus project in Ireland”.
This European Union/Council of Europe Joint Project aims to strengthen Ireland’s response to child sexual abuse by supporting the national implementation of the Barnahus model of services, adapted from Iceland to an Irish context. The project is being implemented by the Council of Europe and aims to ensure that undue delays in the treatment of cases of child sexual abuse are diminished, and that all children who are victims of in such cases, and their families, benefit from a child-friendly access to justice and healthcare.
The national roll-out of the Barnahus model of services involves three departments (Department of Children Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Health and Department of Justice) working together, with the four agencies that will be involved in the delivery of services (Tusla, Children’s Health Ireland, Health Service Executive and An Garda Síochána).
An event to launch the project took place on Monday 30 January in Farmleigh. Following the launch, there were working group sessions for national and regional staff working on the further development of a national Barnahus model of service at the proposed locations for Barnahus East, in Dublin and Barnahus South, in Cork. This work builds on the existing services provided in the first operational centre in Ireland which is located at Barnahus West, Galway.
Commenting at the launch, Minister O’Gorman said:
“In Barnahus West we now have a strong interdisciplinary and multiagency service that brings child protection, policing, medical, therapeutic and forensic services together, under one roof, to provide services for children who experience sexual abuse, and their families. There is now a real opportunity to learn from, and build on this established service, and develop a standardised model that can also adapt to work on a regional basis.
"It has been accepted for a long time that there is a need for sensitive and more integrated services for children in this situation. Continuing to adapt the Barnahus model to an Irish context is an important step in building the foundation for a national framework that is sustainable in the long term.”
Also commenting at the launch event, Minister Harris said:
“The child-friendly principles that underpin the Barnahus model are one of its most appealing features. The need for children to repeatedly share their experience is reduced, which minimises re-traumatisation as they engage with multiple agencies. A setting which has been designed with children in mind provides a safe and caring environment for children, and their families or caregivers throughout a difficult process.”
Continuing Minister O’Gorman said:
“The development of a national model of service relies on cooperation and coordination at all levels, from the healthcare and social work professionals and Gardaí working in this area, to the Agencies providing services and oversight, and including my Ministerial colleagues.
"Minister for Justice, Simon Harris and Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly are represented on the Inter Departmental Group that was established by my department in 2018, and I want to acknowledge their assistance which will contribute to this initiative’s success. This Inter-Departmental Group, chaired by my department, demonstrates at the highest level the cooperation and coordination required to achieve effective interagency action.”
This project is co-financed by the EU Structural Reform Support Programme and the Council of Europe. More information is available on the project’s website here - Support the implementation of the Barnahus project in Ireland - Children's Rights.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth leads on the national implementation of the Barnahus model of services, and has been awarded financial and technical support from the EU and the Council of Europe under the Technical Support Instrument, to help expand the Barnahus model in Ireland.
A pilot service in Galway project was launched in September 2019. Since January 2022 services in Galway are operational in a bespoke centre on the outskirts of Galway city, which allows relevant agencies to provide services for children under one roof.
This project seeks to support the expansion of the Barnahus model of services, adapted to an Irish context. In addition to the dedicated centre in Galway, two further locations in the East and South will provide national coverage and access for victims and families to the service.