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YouTube screengrab

Conditions in Romanian orphanages remain an issue

20 years on, John Mulligan is hoping that a song about their plight can help to raise awareness of a problem that never went away.

“WE’RE NOT EVEN looking for money so much. If we get some it’s great, but we are more interested in raising awareness.”

For someone who has spent his adult life trying to help those who can’t help themselves, John Mulligan knows that money is not always the solution to the problem.

It is through the raising of awareness regarding the conditions in Romania’s orphanages that he hopes help will ultimately find those who have been forgotten about – again.

Those who were in the orphanages 20 years ago as children have now reached adulthood. Many, however, are no better off.

This is the issue that “Who will take care of the children?” attempts to tackle.

(innyriver/YouTube)

Written in conjunction with Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan, all proceeds from its online sales will be donated to charity organizations that work in Romania.

Having originally started out working with Trade Aid to help improve the country’s infrastructure, Mulligan then focused on lobbying at government level “from Washington to Bucharest”.

In his previous attempts to effect change, Mulligan came up against many obstacles:

They [the EU] said it would be fixed when they allowed Romania in, and then when they did so [in 2007] and things didn’t improve, their view then was that they couldn’t do anything about it.

Mulligan feels that the wool has been pulled over too many eyes for too long. “When Romania was trying to impress the EU,” he says, “they said that there would be no children under three kept in institutions.”

“When I asked them how they solved it, I was told that they were now kept in the maternity hospital instead.”

“People in Romania have a lot on their plate,” he says, “and we think we have problems.”

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14 Comments
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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:22 PM

    But late to the party Journal.ie. read that story on Joe.ie 6 hours ago.

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    Mute Paddington C.
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:25 PM

    @Peter Cavey: joe.ie’s source for their story was probably a snapchat story from one of their intern’s old French pen-pals.

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    Mute Sean Murphy
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:26 PM

    @Paddington C.: And even if so, it’s still faster reporting that thejournal

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    Mute Paddington C.
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:27 PM

    @Sean Murphy: yeah, well… “reporting”.

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    Mute wattsed
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:31 PM

    @Peter Cavey: Yep, same on BBC website. Wonder when we’ll read about the Italian budget row with Moscovici in the EU or the latest on the possibility of the digital tax collapsing due to countries planning to chase their own agenda.

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    Mute Paddington C.
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:38 PM

    @wattsed: you should ask for your money back.

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    Mute wattsed
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    Nov 6th 2018, 8:49 PM

    @Paddington C.: They don’t do sterling, yet.

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    Mute Bridget O'Hanlon
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    Nov 6th 2018, 9:37 PM

    @wattsed: And yet, here you all are, whining as usual.

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    Mute wattsed
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    Nov 6th 2018, 11:06 PM

    @Bridget O’Hanlon: I know, I need to simply stick to sites that provide journalism. My mistake.

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    Mute baw baw
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    Nov 7th 2018, 11:35 AM

    @Paddington C.: One thing we can agree on is Joe.ie is muck, a stain on the underpants of news platforms everywhere.
    And dont get me started on sports joe or her.ie

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