Tuesday, 23 June: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Children’s Rights Alliance welcomes today’s publication by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child of a “List of Issues” for Ireland. Ireland’s children’s rights record over the past decade is currently being reviewed by the Committee, with the public examination set for January 2016.  

Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, says: “Today’s checklist is a critical tool used by the Committee to probe areas of concern. The Children’s Rights Alliance presented to the Committee earlier this month and we are thrilled that it has taken on board key issues we raised. We also facilitated a group of children to meet with the Committee. It will really make a difference to them to know that their views are directly reflected in this checklist.

In this checklist, the Committee is delving deeper into the state of children’s rights in Ireland and asking searching questions, focusing on issues of discrimination and inequality. This includes seeking clarification on allegations that the Garda PULSE system is being misused to record Traveller children as criminals based solely on their ethnicity and on measures to ensure that children are not denied placement in schools on the basis of their religion. Further detail on independent inspections of the Direct Provision system is also being sought, as well as details on measures to mitigate the negative impact of austerity and access to mental health services for children.

The Irish Government has a deadline of mid-October to respond to the Committee’s questions. The checklist is not the Committee’s final analysis – it is an important step to ensuring that it is equipped to have a complete overview of Ireland’s children’s rights record to date.”

__ENDS___

Notes to Editor

The List of Issues can be found here.

For further information, please contact:

Emma McKinley, Communications and Development Manager
Tel: (01) 662 9400 / 087 655 9067
Email: emma@childrensrights.ie