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THE CHILDLINE HELP service answered 1,208 calls, messages and texts from children throughout Christmas Day.
The ISPCC, which runs the service, released the figures this morning, saying it reflected “the vital importance of Childline in the lives of Ireland’s children”.
57 volunteers across Ireland gave up their time to man the phones yesterday, and almost three-quarters of the calls and messages received were from male children and teenagers.
“The season can bring unwelcome stress on families and issues such as financial pressures and alcohol misuse in the home can have a hugely negative impact on children’s experience of the day,” National Childline Manager Margie Roe said.
“Children contacted Childline on Christmas Day for a variety of reasons but the majority of calls this year were from children who were experiencing family difficulties and mental health issues.
While Childline will not be able to solve all of these children’s issues and concerns on Christmas Day, what we can and will continue to do is listen to, believe and empower them and most importantly of all we will show these children that we care.
The charity warned last month it may have to close its nighttime Childline service due to a lack of funding.
However, on Monday of this week, a funding agreement with the Government was announced aimed at keeping it in operation around the clock.
€400,000 was raised following a public appeal by the ISPCC, with another €300,000 pledged, and due in in January.
Their appeal is still going at www.savechildline24.ie.
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Thats just a frightening number.
How many went unanswered is the real nightmare.
What ever funding is needed should be provided by the government, that is heart breaking, kids on Xmas day calling for help, kids calling for help anyday is heart breaking, my hats off to all the people who maned them phones,
How many children didn’t call. ??
I want context, how many rang because say they didn’t get what they wanted for xmas. There children after all.
@Joe
Indeed. They might regret phoning Childline if social workers get involved.
And we will let this crucial service slide into a part time after thought…..along with the homeless crisis….family homeless crisis…to see the huge number availing of Christmas dinner yesterday,double the number of two years ago,we need to focus a lot closer to home on the simple things we take for granted…just because it’s not on our doorstep it doesn’t matter….it does!!
@ Ken …. One thing puzzles me we are now spending 21,000,000,000 on “social protection” yet we seem to still have a “hunger” and “homless” problem, spoke to three PAYE workers Christmas Day, each one loses over 50% of their salary (different types of taxes) to fund this (and other things), something is seriously wrong in that!
Do we need to be led by the nose and left feeling that somehow in a generation or two we’ve suddenly become the worst parents on the planet because some quango’s figures need a financial boost , Ireland and child protection don’t belong in the same breath , it’s a cancer and it’s growing
“€400,000 was raised following a public appeal by the ISPCC, with another €300,000 pledged, and due in in January. Their appeal is still going at http://www.savechildline24.ie”;
HOW MUCH DOES THERE CEO and Senior Management Team earn??????????????????????? How much of the fund raising is swallowed up by that???????????????????????
Every time this lot needs money out come the phone logs just to show how relevant they are.
would be interesting to see how many were a tantrum over presents- got a white iPhone instead of a black one
There go I but for the grace of God yes it’s so sad that we have such wealth for some and such poverty for some people those who lost their jobs and those who lost their homes. The political system here does not work time for a change of policy’s and people at the top.
have your say