National children's charity, CARI, warn of potential closure

A NATIONAL children’s charity has warned it could face closure due to a lack of funding. 

CARI (Children At Risk Ireland) had an emergency conference this Wednesday, November 15 to discuss the ‘emergency situation’ which they find themselves in.

A lack of government funding is said to be the main cause, with the charity’s budget from Tusla dropping by 55% since 2021. 

Tusla has confirmed that they will fund just 30% of CARI’s €1.1m operating costs for 2024, €337,000.  

“We cannot operate a support service for child victims for sexual abuse and their families no this budget,” said a spokesperson for CARI, who have their main offices based in Limerick.

“We will have to begin the process of closing down this week, unless adequate funding is forthcoming now.

“Child sexual abuse remains a fact of life in Ireland today. It is not simply an historical problem. In the first half of 2023 there were nearly 4000 cases of suspected child physical or sexual abuse referred to the gardaí by Tusla.”

CARI is appealing to the Government including the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth and the Department of Justice for further funding of €763,000 in 2024.  

Should CARI be able to keep its doors open in 2024, the board is putting a five year strategy in place to generate new streams of income. CARI’s Board AGM takes place on November 17. 

“Last year, we provided 3175 hours of support to 339 people. Now, in our 35th year, in the nine months between January and October, we already supported 322 people from as young as three-years-old.

“The inadequate funding that CARI already receives means children languish on our waiting list for two to three years. 

“With the huge reduction of our core funding from Tusla forcing our closure, the outcomes for these children would be disastrous,” the CARI spokesperson concluded.