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THE GOVERNMENT HAS been given a ‘C Grade’ in the Children’s Rights Alliance’s report card for 2013 – a slight drop from its C+ last year.
The Children’s Rights Alliance commented:
In a year that saw a Children’s Rights Referendum and key work in overhauling the child protection system, the grade will disappoint many.
This year, their annual report card scrutinises the Government on its promises to children that were made in the Programme for Government 2011-2016.
Top of the class
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs, under the direction of Minister Frances Fitzgerald, gained an A grade for strengthening children’s constitutional rights and an overall B- grade for steps to better protect children from abuse and neglect.
An additional win is a B+ grade for the promised closure of St Patrick’s Institution – up from an F grade last year.
Minister Ruairi Quinn and the Department of Education and Skills both receive an overall B- grade for solid progress, particularly in literacy, patronage and school buildings, said the Alliance.
Fail
The report card puts the Department of Social Protection at the ‘bottom of the class’, giving it an F grade – a fail– for child poverty.
The Department of Health received an overall D grade for its work in Health, with the Alliance saying there is an under-spend in Mental Health, inaction on alcohol misuse and delays in Primary Care and the Children’s Hospital.
Overall, Government has failed to support migrant or Traveller children or to address family inequalities, resulting in an overall E+ grade.
Mixed bag
Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said:
Report Card 2013 is a mixed bag. Overall, Government has done worse this year, slipping down to a C grade, despite getting an A grade for the excellent work in strengthening children’s rights in the Constitution. There is also real progress in child protection, ending the detention of children in St Patrick’s Prison and in education. But children are the real losers in Budget 2013 with cuts to Child Benefit not being reinvested in children’s services and controversies and underspend in health leading to major delays in health reform.
Ward said that implementation of mental health policy requires immediate redress, and the under-spend in funds needs to be addressed.
The full report will be available on the Alliance website today.
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That has to be the longest article I didn’t read.
@Jason Ebbs: exactly what they want. The headline will stick in your mind though.
Seaspiracy on Netflix.
Stunned…..
https://g.co/kgs/Us1NVr
@Mark O’Donohoe: just watched this – no more fish for me!
@Patricia: pretty sad but to be honest if you watch any documentary on industrial farmed produce from any source (meet, poultry, fish) you would be left wondering what you would feel comfortable eating.
@John Egan: vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and very happy and healthy doing so
@Aedín: im sure it is, would 6 billion people be able to do the same
@Mark O’Donohoe: I haven’t eaten a morsel of meat or fish since I watched that, followed by conspiracy. I’m done.
Can we not have the small Irish boat as a symbol on fish products, like the guaranteed Irish symbol.
Give people the choice to pay a bit more for a more sustainable fishing method.
Ultimately, only a boycott on fish will force the fishing industry and government to implement changes.
@Ian Downes: that’s an ideal solution. Sadly the industry is anything but ideal. Cant see it happening unless the whole industry as it is collapses.
The fishing industry is always left behind. Lost most of the rights coming into Europe because we didn’t know/ want what we had.
Now, an advanced society realise what we let go.
Totally overfishing by everyone. The negotiations come up every December and the only sector that looses out every year are the fish
Great article
I see this rag isn’t happy the EU have started to plunder our waters.
@HonestGrump: The plundering of our waters began a long time ago
Last year decided to go “meet free Mondays” where I’d have veg only… apparently a kilo of meat uses like a thousand litres of water. Then moved to “fish free Fridays” as I knew about over fishing. Will I have a world changing impact? Probably not..but if I can help a lil bit, without drastically changing my life? I’ll give it go!
(This is coming from a prepper btw)
@The Kev in Kevlar: you need to learn how to spell before you can comment. The standard of English and commentators is very poor on this website. Including reporters. Just take moment reread and then publish
@The Kev in Kevlar: as they say.. lots of people doing they’re best imperfectly rather than a few doing things perfectly
@Aedín: **** their best
@Keith Rankin: hahaha you come at me for spelling rather that my point? Eat you troll food and go back under your bridge…try harder next time darling
@Aedín: underrated comment, full credit
Dont eat fish tis full of plastic.
Also, after Fukushima went (literally) nuclear, the sheer amount of chemicals is the Pacific,now leaching into the Atlantic has jumped a lot…
Seaspiracy on Netflix well worth a look. I won’t be eating fish anymore. The impact fishing is having on stocks, other animals and even the climate is substantial. Very long article but very good!
have your say