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Tuesday 5 December 2023 Dublin: 6°C

# Children's Rights

This year
2023
TikTok gets green light to challenge €345m fine from watchdog over children's privacy failure
TikTok claims the Data Protection Commissions decision to fine it was ‘disproportionate’.
Last year
2022
'Significant gear change' needed to address children's rights shortfalls
The warning comes after the Ombudsman for Children’s Offices published two major reports that have been submitted to a UN Committee.
All time
Opinion: 'I spent fewer than six months in a mother and baby home and I was traumatised'
Mother and baby home survivor Beth Wallace says no one can suggest those who spent fewer than six months there were not traumatised.
Opinion: This government needs to prioritise childcare after a decade of underfunding
Early Childhood Ireland’s Frances Byrne says years of inadequate funding have crippled our childcare system.
Ombudsman for Children criticises Government and declares 2020 a 'devastating year' for young people
The OCO said most complaints were centred around education in 2020 and particularly associated with the Leaving Certificate.
Rat infestations and overcrowding: Probe into Cork halting site exposes dangerous living conditions
Activists say the conditions negatively impact upon children’s rights.
Children's Rights Alliance: This government must do better when it comes to education
Saoirse Brady of the Children’s Rights Alliance says this difficult time could offer an opportunity to recalibrate the education system.
Opinion: 'She knocked on the door and the nun said her son was gone' - the story of the forgotten foster children
Jamie Canavan is researching the stories of children who were forced into ‘boarding out’, a term given to fostering in the early to mid last century.
Government TD says 'absurd' ban on naming child victims needs to end
Deputy O’Callaghan also wants Government to consider increasing the maximum sentence for knife crime.
Children with disabilities waiting years for assessment a violation of their rights, committee to be told
Over 6,000 children are currently overdue an assessment of their needs.
Ivana Bacik: Children who are born in Ireland belong here
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik says the 2004 referendum has caused needless suffering and she’s asking the Government to back a new Bill addressing this issue.
'Ireland lost one of our greatest champions of children': Tributes paid to advocate Norah Gibbons
Gibbons was involved in several projects to protect the rights of children and vulnerable groups.
Mary McAleese says the Vatican is moving backwards on children's rights
The former president says the church is embroiled in a dispute with the governing body of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
"We call this residential care, I call it institutionalisation of trauma": Group calls for better child protection
The Irish Care Leavers’ Network is dedicated to supporting people coming out of State care.
Most complaints made to children's watchdog are about schools
The office dealt with 1,639 complaints in 2015.
"At the moment, court is a very frightening place for a child" - young victims in Ireland's legal system
A case of severe child abuse that recently passed through the courts showed some of the provisions in place to help protect minors.
The UN has called Ireland out on religious schools' 'discriminatory admissions policies'
A number of human and children’s rights groups have called for action in addressing a number of issues.
The number of children living in poverty could fill Mayo
“In its last year in office, how will the Government respond to these children?”
Opinion: Legislation is urgently needed following Supreme Court ruling on surrogacy
It is a fact of life that parents will enter into arrangements of whereby a third party bears their child – so we need legislation that deals directly with surrogacy.
Nobel committee shocked by guy who says Malala 'hasn't actually done anything'
Bizarre question throws Peace Prize announcement for a loop.
When Ireland can't help, here's where children can turn to
Charlie Flanagan has signed an important protocol to a UN convention to strengthen children’s rights.
Philomena Lee to speak about her experience of forced adoption in Ireland
The event will see a number of different international experts discussing children’s rights in Ireland.
Opinion: Once again, we've heard a depressingly familiar tune from Ireland on human rights
Ireland’s appearance before the UN Human Rights Committee was disappointing: we have not made the changes recommended four years ago.
New law would make it complusory for fathers' names to be included on birth certs
The new Bill has been described as “the most important reform of family law for a generation”.
Government fails Traveller, migrant children and those who are at risk of poverty
The Children’s Rights Alliance gave the government an overall ‘C’ grade in this year’s report card.
New child protection agency to be officially launched today
The Child and Family Agency will take over from the HSE in relation to child welfare.
Children's Ombudsman has "trust of the public" needed for Roma cases probe
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald explains why Emily Logan has been given power to compel gardai to speak to her.
Ireland 'must ratify' protocols to UN convention on child protection
The Children’s Rights Alliance says Ireland has only signed up to one of three optional protocols to the UN convention.
Van Turnhout in discussions with Fine Gael over filling Mitchell's MEP seat
TheJournal.ie has learned that the senator is in discussions over the possibility of joining Fine Gael and running for the seat being vacated by Gay Mitchell next year.
Column: Last year's multi-million euro underspend in mental health is unacceptable
In a year when many families and communities lost a child or young person to suicide, it makes no sense that €29 million pledged to be spent on mental health was not used, writes Tanya Ward.
New bill introduces definition of a grandparent
Fine Gael TD said it is an unusual piece of legislation as our laws do not generally address such personal issues as familial bonds.
Government awarded overall C grade in 2013 report card
The report card comes from the Children’s Rights Alliance, which put the Department of Social Protection at the bottom of the class due to child poverty.
Putin says he will sign anti-US adoptions bill
The Russian president said today he will sign a controversial bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children.
Referendum website's 'Like' button illustrated bias for Yes vote
The Supreme Court delivers its full ruling into why the Government’s website for the Children’s Referendum was not impartial.
‘Baby boxes’: what they are, and why the UN wants them banned
Revival of medieval ‘foundling’ boxes in which abandoned babies were placed send “bad message to society”.
Column: We've passed the children's referendum, but there's more to do
The sexual abuse scandals in Australia’s Catholic Church and the BBC show that there is still work to do beyond the contitutional change passed earlier this month, says the Children’s Rights Alliance.
Constituency-by-constituency: How you voted
Which electoral area had the highest proportion of ‘Yes’ votes? Which one had the highest percentage of ‘No’ ballots? And into which top 10 does the Taoiseach’s home constituency fall?
Column: ‘I want the best for children, which is why I am voting No’
Pat Kavanagh says she has serious questions about the new Child and Family Support Agency.
Column: ‘Vote Yes to end the culture where children are seen and not heard’
Fergus Finlay says countless reports documented Ireland’s failings to protect children, but this constitutional amendment will change that.