End Child Poverty Week 2023
End Child Poverty Week 2023 took place between Monday 11 - Friday 15 September, focusing on key thematic areas of child poverty including early years, education, income, national actiosn and local plans and, child welfare and alternative care. The Week focused on key priorities for this year's budget to ensure it is designed to break the cycle of poverty for children and young people. Information about the events is availabel below and you can follow the discussion online using #EndChildPovertyWeek and #ChildrensBduget24
You can read the Children's Rights Alliance - Children's Budget Priorities here.
Day 1: Educational Inequality
Our opening event focused on educational inequality with keynote addresses by Senator Eileen Flynna and Prof Paul Downes followed by an expert panel discussion.
Chair: Tom Maher, Director of Services St Patrick's Mental Health Services and Chair of the Children's Rights Alliance Board.
Keynote: Senator Eileen Flynn
Keynote: Prof. Paul Downes, Professor of Psychology of Education, Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Dublin City University
Panel:
- Áine O Keefe, Director, Tusla Education Support Service
- Julie Ahern, Director of Legal, Policy and Services, Children’s Rights Alliance
- David Duffy, Education Officer, Teachers' Union of Ireland
- Elaine Dunphy, Home School Liaison Officer, Dublin 1
- Shane Loftus, Principal of Our Lady Immaculate SNS, Darndale and a former Home School Liaison Teacher and a former Executive member of the INTO.
You can watch the recording here.
Day 2: Child Welfare and Alternative Care
Our second event took place in Nano Nagle Place in Cork and took a closer look at adverse childhood experiences, their impact on children and young people and the opportunity Budget 2024 presents to deliver real change in this area.
Chair: Prof Conor O'Mahony, University College Cork
Keynote: Dr Sharon Lambert, School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork
Panel:
- Tanya Ward, Chief Executive, Children’s Rights Alliance
- Kate Duggan, CEO of Tusla - the Child and Family
- Dr Maria Corbett, Chief Executive, Child Law Project
- Stephanie Whyte, Assistant Director of Children's Services, Barnardos
- Lisa O'Brien, South and South East Youth Services Manager in Focus Ireland
- Rayaa, Children's Rights Advocate, Cork Migrant Centre and Eurochild's Children's Council
You can watch the recording here.
Day 3: National Action
Our third event focused on what is happening at a national and local level to end child poverty. The event included further insights into the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Unit and how poverty action plans are being developed locally to turn the tide on child poverty in communities.
Chair: Tom Costello, Social Impacts Advisor
Keynote: Elizabeth Canavan, Assistant Secretary General for Social Policy, Public Service Reform and Government Information Service at Department of the Taoiseach
Panel:
- Dr Anna Visser, Principal Officer, Child Poverty and Wellbeing Programme Office, Department of the Taoiseach
- Maria Minguella, Tipperary Town Revitalisation Social Inclusion Co-ordinator, Tipperary Town Revitalisation Taskforce
- Marian Quinn – CEO, Childhood Development Initiative
- Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times columnist and writer
- Tanya Ward, Chief Executive, Children’s Rights Alliance
You can watch the recording here.
Day 4: Income
On Day Four of End Child Poverty Week, brought members, friends and stakeholders together for an in-person event in The Ark, Dublin 2, focused on the theme of income and the inadequacy of these supports for children and young people.
Chair: Tricia Keilthy, Head of Social Justice and Policy, Society of St Vincent de Paul Ireland
Keynote: Hugh Frazer, Adjunct Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University & Chairperson, Dublin City Community Cooperative
Panel:
- Derval McDonagh, CEO, Inclusion Ireland
- Paul Gordon, Director of Policy and Advocacy, National Youth Council of Ireland
- Louise Bayliss, National Spokesperson, SPARK Ireland
- Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link
- Sara Cid, Research, Irish Refugee Council
You can watch the recording here.
Day 5: Early Years
Our final event of End Child Poverty Week focused on the importance of breaking the cycle of poverty early in a child's life.
Chair: Karen Kiernan CEO of One Family
Keynote: Professor Mathias Urban, Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Research Centre, Dublin City University.
Panel:
- Dr Anne Marie Brooks - Assistant Secretary General of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- Grainne McKenna -Assistant Professor at Dublin City University, Institute of Education
- Tracey Reilly - Education Development Worker, Pavee Point
- Geraldine O'Hara, Head of Operations, Daughters of Charity
- Dr Naomi Feely, Senior Research and Policy Officer, Children’s Rights Alliance
You can watch the recording here.
Thank you for your continued support!
#EndChildPovertyWeek #ChildrensBudget24