An Bord Snip: Cutting Childhood Short July 2009 The Children’s Rights Alliance is a coalition of over 90 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working to secure the rights and needs of children in Ireland, by campaigning for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It aims to improve the lives of all children under 18, through securing the necessary changes in Ireland’s laws, policies and services. Membership The Alliance was formally established in March 1995. Many of its member organisations are prominent in the children’s sector – working directly with children on a daily basis across the country. The Alliance’s policies, projects and activities are developed through ongoing collaboration and consultation with its member organisations. Vision Ireland will be one of the best places in the world to be a child Mission To realise the rights of children in Ireland through securing the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child July 2009 ©2009 Children’s Rights Alliance – Republic of Ireland Limited The Children’s Rights Alliance is a registered charity – CHY No. 11541 This is an in-house publication For any enquiries or to obtain additional copies of this paper, please contact: Children’s Rights Alliance 4 Upper Mount Street Dublin 2 Tel: +353.1.662 9400 Fax: +353.1.662 9355 Email: [email protected] Web: www.childrensrights.ie The Alliance grants permission for the reproduction of quotations from this text, provided due acknowledgement of the source is made and provided such citations do not exceed 400 words in length. This publication may be reproduced in full or in part if accompanied by the following citation: An Bord Snip: Cutting Childhood Short, July 2009. Contents 1. OVERVIEW 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Overview Analysis 3 1.3 An Bord Snip Recommendations that Breach Towards 2016 7 2. ANALYSIS BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT 9 2.1 Department of Education and Science 9 2.2 Department of Health and Children 13 2.3 Health Service Executive 14 2.4 Department of Social and Family Affairs 15 2.5 Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform 16 2.6 Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 17 2.7 Department of Transport 18 2.8 Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism 18 3. APPENDICES 19 Appendix I: Direct Impact on Children 19 Appendix II: Indirect Significant Impact on Children 20 Appendix III: Alliance Member Organisations 21 Children’s Rights Alliance: An Bord Snip: Cutting Childhood Short, July 2009 1 1. OVERVIEW 1.1 Introduction The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes dubbed ‘An Bord Snip Nua’ was published on 16 July 2009. 1 The Special Group sat for six months and was chaired by UCD Economist, Mr. Colm McCarthy. The Group’s mandate was to examine all current Exchequer spending across all Departments and agencies, to see where expenditure and staff savings might be made, in response to the current financial crisis. 2 The Group’s report identifies potential expenditure savings of €5.3 billion, with associated staff reductions of 17,300 in public service numbers.3 The highest staff reductions are in the Department of Education and Science (6,930) and in the Department of Health and Children (6,168).4 Over the coming months, the Government and the Dáil will deliberate on what actions should be taken to address the deficit in public finances — their decisions will be informed by the Group’s recommendations. The Minister for Finance has invited the views and input of all concerned, and referred the Group’s report to the Oireachtas Committee on Finance and General Affairs for discussion prior to the Budget in December. 5 Outline of this Paper Part 1 of this paper begins with a brief analysis of how the Group’s recommendations, if implemented, will impact on children and provides commentary on the key issues as identified by the Alliance. Part 2 contains a summary of the Group’s recommendations, by governmental department and agencies, which directly impact on children. Where relevant, the paper also draws attention to proposed cuts that, whilst not directly related to children, will have a significant impact on their lives and those of their families. There are three appendices, Appendix I ‘Direct Impact on Children’ and Appendix II ‘Indirect Significant Impact on Children’ contain a listing of the cuts outlined in Part 2 and their proposed savings set out in tabular format. Appendix III contains a list of Alliance member organisations. 1 The report of the Special Group was published in two volumes and can be accessed at http://sgps.gov.ie. For brevity, this paper refers to The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes as ‘An Bord Snip’. 2 Press Statement (16 July 2009) Report of Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, accessible at http://sgps.gov.ie 3 Ibid. 4 Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, Volume I, p. 3. 5 Press Statement (16 July 2009) Report of Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, accessible at http://sgps.gov.ie Children’s Rights Alliance: An Bord Snip: Cutting Childhood Short, July 2009 2 1.2 Overview Analysis The recommendations proposed by ‘An Bord Snip Nua’, if implemented, will cut childhoods short. An economic downturn is not an excuse to renege on our commitment to children’s rights. By ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, Ireland committed to vindicate children’s civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. In times of economic crisis, it is more important than ever that front- line services and supports for children and families be preserved. The President of Ireland Mary McAleese, addressing a Children’s Rights Alliance symposium in April 2009, spoke powerfully about the impact of the recession on children and childhood. She said: We know that in these difficult economic times, the environment is changing dramatically for children as financial pressure and job losses increase the anxiety levels in their homes. They are not immune. They are not hermetically sealed off from those anxieties. They need our reassurance now more than ever and they need space in which to express what it is they know and what it is we need to hear from them so that we can best protect and vindicate their rights, their childhoods. 6 An Bord Snip had a narrow brief and its report, therefore, presents an incomplete picture. It sets out a menu of proposal cuts to reduce current Exchequer spending. It is merely a desk based economic exercise. The Government’s decision making, however, must be informed by a broader perspective; it cannot be made in a vacuum. The human, social and economic fall-out of any proposed cut must be taken into account. The Government must assess the impact of each proposed cut on children, viewed through a medium and a long term lens, and take decisions that are in children’s best interests. Decisions must also reflect the reality on the ground for children. That reality includes 76,000 children living in consistent poverty, who must be protected from further impoverishment. 7 It includes one in three children in disadvantaged communities who leave school with literacy difficulties, who must be equipped with life’s most basic skills, those of reading and writing. 8 Income support and public services are critical supports for children to ensure that they reach their full potential. Decent schools, timely access to health and therapeutic services, and proper support for children with special needs are not dispensable for children; they are bread and butter issues. The devastating impact of cuts to children’s services can last a lifetime, they are not just a one-year budgetary saving. Skimp on education; skimp on a child’s wellbeing; and a generation will suffer the effects. Ireland has a duty to uphold children’s rights, and vindicating children’s rights – through the provision of essential services and supports – makes economic sense. Time and again studies have shown that investment early to support children saves expenditure in more intensive and costly state supports. Cuts now, particularly in education and health services, will prove a false economy in the medium to long term. It does not make economic sense to roll back on valuable progress. Furthermore, the Alliance cautions that children did not cause the economic crisis and should be spared the pain. The Alliance fully acknowledges that the country faces a very grave deficit in its public finances; and that the economic crisis presents difficult policy and budgetary choices. Furthermore, we acknowledge that our public services are in need of reform, and we welcome An Bord Snip’s positive recommendations to bring about reform and improve services. 6 Remarks by President McAleese at the Children's Rights Alliance Biennial Symposium, Dublin Castle, 2 April 2009 http://www.president.ie/index.php?section=5&speech=637&lang=eng Accessed 27 July 2009; and Children’s Rights Alliance, Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?: Report of a Symposium on Children’s Rights in Ireland , prepared by Carmel Corrigan, p. 20. 7 This figure represents 7.4% of all children. See Central Statistics Office (2008), EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU- SILC) 2007. 8 E. Eivers, G. Shiel and F. Shortt (2005), Literacy in Disadvantaged Primary Schools: Problems and Solutions, Dublin: Education Research Centre, p. 6. Children’s Rights Alliance: An Bord Snip: Cutting Childhood Short, July 2009 3 Proportion of the proposed savings that impact on children Overall An Bord Snip’s recommendations have a disproportionate impact on children.