Children Scavenging Bins For Food

deisemum

http://budget.irishexaminer.com/analysis/two-hungry-children-found-scavenging-bins-in-city-centre-138896.html


Two hungry children found scavenging bins in city centre
09/12/2010
THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has launched an investigation after two hungry children were found scavenging in bins in Waterford city centre. The two five-year-olds were found rooting through a bin on High Street by a local social worker.

She contacted the HSE directly about the case.

According to President of the Kilkenny branch of the St Vincent de Paul, Liam Heffernan, there are now levels of poverty comparable to the Third World in the south-eastern city.

Mr Heffernan said that the arrival of unprecedented Arctic conditions so early in the winter was the charity’s “worst nightmare”.

“If the freezing weather continues there is a big fear that people could die. We are trying to get fuel out to people who are desperately in need,” he added.

“I have never seen conditions so bad. People are going hungry and are in desperate need of fuel and there is a real chance that there could be an awful tragedy if people don’t act,” he told the Kilkenny People.

“Earlier this year people ran up huge heating and electricity bills because of the freezing weather and many of them are still in debt struggling to repay them.

“People who were previously our donors are now our recipients. There are people who have no heating or fuel or money to get either,” he said.

The HSE would not comment on what has happened to the two children found searching bins for food but said while “referrals about children foraging in bins is not common, it would not be grounds alone for taking children into HSE care”.

“However it would raise concerns of neglect which the HSE would investigate,” the spokesman said.

Mr Heffernan said there has also been a 100% increase in the number of families seeking help from the charity, with the number of families contacting the charity increasing from 300 to 600 families.

The charity spent €250,000 in the city last year and estimates that it will spend in excess of €400,000 this year.

“This year, two of the four conferences [the charity is broken down into different areas or conferences] went broke for the first time in my memory and I have been involved with the charity for the past 30 years.

“We badly need money, especially in the run-up to Christmas. The weather and economic circumstances means that some people are in a very bad way. I visited a mother and her two children recently and she had only €35 for the week and very little fuel for heating,” he added.

A nationwide churchgate collection for the St Vincent de Paul will take place this weekend around the country.

Dum_Dum

If children are scavenging for food in bins then obviously SVP is not fit for purpose.

Monty Burnz

When you bear in mind that their parents - if they are not working - are provided with plenty of money by the state for housing and looking after their children, I don't think it's SVdP who are the problem. The parents must be spending their money on drink/drugs rather than on food for the poor kids.

marlin vs

This is terrible new's.

mike65

I heard the radio report - they said Kilkenny!

deisemum

It said Waterford City on Todayfm's news at 9am.

STIG83

Thats awful to hear

mike65

I was probably still half asleep sounded like Newstalk only mentioned Kilkenny, maybe they just saw the location of St V de P spokesman.

deisemum

11 o'clock news now says Kilkenny City which makes more sense as it explains why it was a kilkenny social worker that reported this.

I was more than surprised when I heard it was in Waterford and a local social worker reported it. That wouldn't have been my experience of local social workers getting involved.

Joey leBlanc

deisemum wrote: »

http://budget.irishexaminer.com/analysis/two-hungry-children-found-scavenging-bins-in-city-centre-138896.html

According to President of the Kilkenny branch of the St Vincent de Paul, Liam Heffernan, there are now levels of poverty comparable to the Third World in the south-eastern city.

Does anyone else think that this story is sensationalist?? I've seen 3rd World cities in person & nowhere in Ireland compares to it. Yes there are people finding it tough at the moment but this story smacks of the SvdP trying to highlight their up & coming w/end collection by applying the lowest common denominator in terms of media coverage : STARVING KIDS EATING OUT OF BINS!

grizzly

I think the problem is people find it very hard to admit they can't afford food for the shame of it.

Yes Boss

grizzly wrote: »

I think the problem is people find it very hard to admit they can't afford food for the shame of it.

So ashamed that they would neglect their own children!

snuggles09

Joey leBlanc wrote: »

Does anyone else think that this story is sensationalist?? I've seen 3rd World cities in person & nowhere in Ireland compares to it. Yes there are people finding it tough at the moment but this story smacks of the SvdP trying to highlight their up & coming w/end collection by applying the lowest common denominator in terms of media coverage : STARVING KIDS EATING OUT OF BINS!

I dont think it is over stating it.I've walked out of my house one morning and found a 4 year old weeing against my bin with nothing on but a Halloween costume at 7am in the morning and it was March. Have also seen this boys sister who is now 3 sitting on the front window sill of her bedroom which is a second storey house and out in her pram with an older sister of about 8 with only a vest and nappy on at 10.30pm at night when i was driving home.Thanks God social services stepped in and the children are now well looked after but it does happen

ziedth

It's a truly awful story,

I'll agree though the third world statement is complete ****e, send the guy to the slums in Mumbai or those glu kids in Kenya And then come back and see what he says.

I find it so hard to believe that things like this happen in Waterford (or Kilkenny it doesn't really matter) and there has to be an element of the family not asking for help or there being some other issue that hasn't been reported.

I for one feel very guilty about complaint about the budget when **** like this happens so close to us ya know?

Bjorn Bored.

Look this is awful and it is correct that the children now be taken away from their selfish and neglectful parent(s).

The fact is that welfare is very high in this country, nobody has to starve,to compare the situation with a 3rd world country is an utter joke and very much sensationalist.

The reason these kids were left to their own devices is not because the parent(s) cant afford to feed them but far more likely that they choose to spend their dole money on drink,cigs, or whatever.

Its perfectly possible to feed your kids with the high level of subsistence freely available to anyone who is entitled to it.

Its about making the correct choices, we are not living in Charles Dickens's London here.

Parents should be utterly ashamed of them selves,but sadly are probably too out of it to even notice.

fitzeyboy.

shouldn't this be moved to the KK forum since it has nothing to do with Waterford?