Report card gives Government a C+

THE Fine Gael/Labour Coalition Government was recently awarded an overall C+ grade in the Children’s Rights Alliance’s Report Card 2012. It is the best grade achieved by any Government since the Report Card series was first published in 2009.
The Children’s Rights Alliance is a coalition of over 90 non-governmental organisations working to secure the rights of children in Ireland. It campaigns for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The C+ grade is in recognition of Government’s decision to provide the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with full status at Cabinet; the establishment of a dedicated Department of Children and Youth Affairs; approval for a new children’s hospital and, most importantly, a firm commitment to hold a referendum on children’s rights in 2012.
However, the alliance said it had marked down the Government owing to “glaring violations of children’s rights”, most significantly in Budget 2012, which failed to protect children, plunging vulnerable families further into poverty and for the Government’s treatment of children in detention in St Patrick’s Institution (an E grade and F grade respectively).
Three articles from 2011 editions of The Clare Champion, detailing inadequate mental health facilities for young people, children’s worries about their family’s financial difficulties and an address by the now President Michael D Higgins at the Cumann Merriman Festival, are all highlighted as part of the report.
Tanya Ward, chief executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said, “As new chief executive, it is a matter of great satisfaction to me to be able to award this Government an overall C+ grade on its key promises to children, particularly as it is the best overall grade in the Report Card series to date.
“However, it is not all good news, with the Government performing poorly in some critical areas. The Government is allowing an austerity-driven recession to trample on the rights of children and their families and it is also failing to act on the incarceration of young people in St Patrick’s Institution. Ultimately, the grades awarded in Report Card 2012 are based on the new Government’s intentions.
“Next year, in Report Card 2013, we will be basing our grades solely on deliverables. However, I’m confident that, overall, this year marks a fresh start for Ireland on its journey to be one of the best places in the world to be a child.”
Report Card 2012 scrutinises the Government’s commitments to children in the areas of education, health, material well-being, safeguarding childhood and realising children’s rights. The alliance has tracked 23 commitments within the Programme for Government. Emanating from this analysis are 29 immediate actions, recommended by the alliance, that the Government should take in 2012 to promote the rights of children.
Attending the launch, Professor Pat Dolan, UNESCO chairholder in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement and director of the Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, said, “The establishment of the new Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Government’s commitment to create a dedicated child and family support agency are very welcome and will, I have no doubt, prove milestones in helping to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child.
“Fundamental reform of our child protection services is vital if we are to do our very best for vulnerable children and families requiring substantial support and protection and I look forward to the agency’s establishment.”
Judge Catherine McGuinness, a member of the Council of State, also attended the launch.
“The Government’s commitment to hold a Children’s Rights Referendum in 2012 is very welcome. The Children’s Rights Alliance has spearheaded this campaign and it is good to see the Government’s commitment included in the new format of Report Card 2012. The Government’s B grade for its work in this area is deserved and a successful referendum campaign will surely garner an A grade in Report Card 2013,” she said.
Sheila Greene, former director of the Children’s Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin, described Report Card 2012 as “an invaluable overview of Government performance in relation to children”.
Sally Anne Kinahan, assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said, “Report Card 2012 demonstrates to the Government the value of accountability and, importantly, highlights areas for improvement. Despite working towards a shared objective, it is clear many Government departments and agencies operate independently and in isolation from colleagues in other departments. This leads to a lack of co-ordination at service delivery level, an inconsistent policy approach and the compartmentalisation of children’s lives, in line with the roles of different departments. Drawing attention to this has been valuable in itself.”