The Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 100 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. We change the lives of all children in Ireland by making sure that their rights are respected and protected in our laws, policies and services. Ag Eisteacht Irish Heart Foundation Alcohol Action Ireland Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) Alliance Against Cutbacks in Education Irish Penal Reform Trust Amnesty International Ireland Irish Premature Babies Arc Adoption Irish Primary Principals Network The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children Irish Refugee Council ASH Ireland Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU) Assoc. for Criminal Justice Research and Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Development (ACJRD) Irish Traveller Movement Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) Irish Youth Foundation (IYF) ATD Fourth World – Ireland Ltd Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation Atheist Ireland Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice Barnardos Junglebox Childcare Centre F.D.Y.S. Barretstown Camp Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership BeLonG To Youth Services Law Centre for Children and Young People Bessborough Centre Lifestart National Office Border Counties Childhood Network Marriage Equality – Civil Marriage for Gay and Lesbian People Carr’s Child and Family Services Mary Immaculate College Catholic Guides of Ireland Mental Health Reform Childhood Development Initiative Mounttown Neighbourhood Youth and Family Project Children in Hospital Ireland MyMind City of Dublin YMCA National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (NOTA) COPE Galway National Parents Council Post Primary Cork Life Centre National Parents Council Primary Crosscare National Youth Council of Ireland Dental Health Foundation One Family DIT – School of Social Sciences & Legal Studies One in Four Down Syndrome Ireland Parentline Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Parentstop Dun Laoghaire Refugee Project Pavee Point Early Childhood Ireland Peter McVerry Trust Educate Together Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) School of Education UCD Realt Beag EPIC SAFE Ireland Focus Ireland Saoirse Housing Association Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta SAOL Beag Children’s Centre Foróige Scouting Ireland GLEN - Gay and Lesbian Equality Network Simon Communities of Ireland Headstrong - The National Centre for Youth Mental Society of St. Vincent de Paul Health Sonas Housing Association Healthy Food for All Special Needs Parents Association Immigrant Council of Ireland SpunOut.ie Inclusion Ireland St. Nicholas Montessori Teachers Association Independent Hospitals Association of Ireland St. Nicholas Montessori Society Inspire Ireland St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services Institute of Community Health Nursing Start Strong Institute of Guidance Counsellors Step by Step Child & Family Project International Adoption Association Sugradh Irish Association of Social Care Workers (IASCW) The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway Irish Association of Social Workers The Guardian Children’s Project Irish Association of Suicidology The Prevention and Early Intervention Network Irish Autism Action Treoir Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway UNICEF Ireland Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Unmarried and Separated Families of Ireland Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) youngballymun Irish Foster Care Association Youth Advocate Programme Ireland (YAP) Irish Girl Guides Youth Work Ireland Comhshaol, Pobal agus Rialtas Áitiúil Environment, Community and Local Government CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ALLIANCE REPORT CARD 2015 1 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2 FOREWORD 3 INTRODUCTION 4 GRADING 6 SUMMARY OF IMMEDIATE ACTIONS 8 1. CHILDREN’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS 10 1.1 Children’s Referendum 12 1.2 Constitutional Convention 16 2. RIGHT TO EDUCATION 18 2.1 Early Childhood Care and Education 20 2.2 Child Literacy 26 2.3 Children with Special Educational Needs 32 2.4 School Buildings 37 2.5 Patronage and Pluralism in Education 41 3. RIGHT TO HEALTH 46 3.1 Primary Care 48 3.2 Children’s Hospital 54 3.3 Mental health 59 3.4 Alcohol, Smoking and Drugs 64 4. RIGHT TO AN ADEQUATE STANDARD OF LIVING 70 4.1 Child Poverty 72 4.2 Children and the Social Welfare System 78 4.3 Area Based Approach to Tackling Child Poverty 81 4.4 Child and Youth Homlessness 85 5. RIGHT TO PROTECTION FROM ABUSE AND NEGLECT 90 5.1 Child and Family Agency 92 5.2 Ryan Report Implementation Plan 97 5.3 Children in Detention 101 6. RIGHT TO EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION 106 6.1 Traveller and Roma Children 108 6.2 Migrant Children 114 6.3 Inequalities in Family Life 119 2 CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ALLIANCE REPORT CARD 2015 Acknowledgements The Children’s Rights Alliance wishes to thank Particular thanks is due to the staff of the all those who contributed to researching Children’s Rights Alliance for researching and compiling this report. In particular, the and compiling this report and the Children’s Children’s Rights Alliance would like to thank Rights Alliance Board for their oversight. The our partners in helping to produce Report Children’s Rights Alliance would also like to Card 2015 including Atlantic Philanthropies, acknowledge the work of Children Now, Community Foundation of Ireland and the based in California, whose annual report card Katherine Howard Foundation, the Depart- provided the initial inspiration for this series. ment of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Ireland Funds and Finally, we extend our thanks to the members the Irish Youth Foundation. of the External Assessment Panel who, by assessing the grades in each section and The Children’s Rights Alliance would like adding their considerable experience, validate to thank the Committee for Judicial Studies, this report. The grades allocated represent the Government Departments, and statutory the collective views of the Panel rather than and non-statutory agencies for their assistance, the views of any individual. The External comments and co-operation in preparation Assessment Panel comprised: of this report including: • Professor Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair • Children’s Hospital Board holder in Children, Youth and Civic • Department of Children and Youth Affairs Engagement and Director, Child • Department of Education and Skills and Family Research Centre, • Department of Health National University of Ireland, Galway; • Department of Justice and Equality • Dr Orla Doyle, Lecturer in UCD School • Department of Social Protection of Economics and Research, Fellow • National Council for Curriculum and in the UCD Geary Institute for Public Assessment Policy; • National Paediatric Hospital Development Board • Professor Nóirín Hayes, • Tusla – the Child and Family Agency Visiting Professor, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin; The expert contributions of individual • Áine Hyland, Emeritus Professor of Children’s Rights Alliance member Education and former Vice-President organisations are gratefully acknowledged, of University College Cork; in particular: • David Joyce, Equality Officer, • Alcohol Action Ireland Irish Congress of Trade Unions; • Alliance against Cutbacks in Education • Childhood Development Initiative • Professor Ursula Kilkelly, • Children in Hospital Ireland Head of College of Business and Law, • Early Childhood Ireland University College Cork; • Educate Together • Danny McCoy, Director General, Ibec, • EPIC represented by Siobhan Masterson, • Focus Ireland Head of Corporate Affairs; • GLEN – Gay and Lesbian Equality Network • Immigrant Council of Ireland • Judge Catherine McGuinness, former • Irish Heart Foundation member of the Supreme Court of Ireland • Irish National Teachers Organisation and Member of the Council of State. • Irish Penal Reform Trust • Irish Refugee Council • Irish Traveller Movement • Law Centre for Children and Young People • Marriage Equality • Mental Health Reform • National Parents Council of Ireland – Primary • Pavee Point • Prevention and Early Intervention Network • Rape Crisis Network Ireland • St. Patrick’s University Hospital • Society of St. Vincent de Paul • Start Strong • Treoir • youngballymun CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ALLIANCE REPORT CARD 2015 3 FOREWORD The Children’s Rights Alliance Report Card reforms were characterised by delays. The 2015 is the seventh in this series. As in previous children’s hospital, the children’s detention years, our panel of external assessors graded facility in Oberstown and the transfer of the the Government’s performance in 2014 in patronage of schools all suffered. fulfilling their own stated commitments to children in the Programme for Government. At the same time, there was significant advancement in the justice portfolio with Tanya Ward 2014 was an incredibly significant year for the publication of proposals for the Children Chief Executive children. The Government published Better and Family Relationships Bill. Marked by Outcomes Brighter Futures – The National transparency and consultation, both the former Policy Framework for Children and Young Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, People, setting out an ambitious and innovative Alan Shatter, and current Minister for Justice roadmap for children. But it was also a year and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald, showed when the cumulative effects of the recession a real willingness to ensure that children on children really became apparent. Home- experiencing inequalities in family life would lessness and poverty increased. With the finally be protected. numbers of children experiencing consistent poverty nearly doubling since 2008, we can We also saw some action in 2014 to tackle