Ombudsman ‘utterly dismayed’ by issues around children’s needs

An ombudsman has said he is “exasperated and utterly dismayed” at chronic issues around children’s needs.

Children’s ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon called for the full and direct incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Irish law as he questioned whether ongoing scandals around child homelessness and scoliosis waiting lists would be as severe this year if they had been addressed earlier.

Dr Muldoon told the Oireachtas Children’s Committee on Wednesday that direct incorporation of the convention is “the most important thing” that can be done to protect and safeguard the rights of Irish children.

He said Ireland had already committed to these rights but there was a need to put “real force” behind the international obligations.

Dr Muldoon told the committee: “It will put children’s rights at the heart of every decision within the public and civil service, and give us a stronger basis to ensure we are keeping our promises to children.

“For example, imagine if five years ago the State had to come up with a child and family-focused home strategy.

“Would there still be 4,775 children in emergency accommodation today?”

He added: “Or if our recommendations around scoliosis as a children’s rights issue as far back as 2017 was made against the backdrop of direct incorporation, would there be the same crisis as there is today?”

Dr Muldoon said Ireland should be able to better funnel resources to where they are “needed most”, adding that societies are judged on how they treat their most vulnerable.

He said: “As ombudsman for children, I am exasperated and utterly dismayed at the persistent chronic issues around access to affordable housing for children and families, at the unacceptable delays in access to vital surgeries and assessments of need in a country as well-off as Ireland economically.

“We are now at a crossroads in terms of what can be achieved for children, and in the current climate of political uncertainty and change it’s more important than ever for the State to bed down its commitments on children’s rights.”