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910 children taken into care in 2017, data reveals

910 children taken into care in 2017, data reveals

Children were taken into state care 80 times in one year because of physical or sexual abuse.

A further 348 were taken from their homes in Ireland because of neglect.

Details released under the Freedom of Information Act show Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, took 910 children into its care because of issues in their homes in 2017, the most recent year figures are available for.

67 admissions were down to physical abuse, while 73 were because of emotional abuse and 13 were down to sexual abuse.

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The remaining 757 admissions were due to neglect or welfare concerns.

Sinn Féin health spokesperson and Dublin Fingal TD Louise O'Reilly notes that a third of all cases were in the capital.

"In particular, in my own constituency 76 children were admitted - which is by far the highest number - for reasons of welfare," said Ms O'Reilly.

"What that says really is that there needs to be an investment to ensure that the welfare of the children is protected.

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We would like to see an end to what is effectively a 'postcode lottery' because what the figures show is huge disparities across various areas and districts.

Ms O'Reilly said that there needs to be investment in child welfare projects, community health services and supports to ensure that parents and children get the support that they need.

Tusla says children are only taken taken into its care where there is an immediate risk to a child's safety.

It adds that interim care orders are only in place for a short period of time.

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