From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on 9 February 2023
Last updated on 9 February 2023
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its Concluding Observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Ireland, which is available to read here .
On 24 and 25 January 2023, Minister O’Gorman led a delegation of officials from relevant Government Departments for the hearing before the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva. The Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed admiration for how Ireland had received children fleeing Ukraine.
The Committee’s Concluding Observations published today reflect the constructive dialogue which took place between the Committee and the Irish Delegation. In the Concluding Observations, the Committee recognises the positive steps taken by the State since Ireland’s last review in 2016. In particular, they welcome the progress made with the commencement of the Children First Act, Children and Family Relationships Act, the Irish Sign Language Act and the adoption of a number of other strategies.
Minister O’Gorman welcomes the Concluding Observations saying
“Ireland is a strong supporter of the UN Treaty Body system. We greatly value the role that Treaty Body Committees continue to play in highlighting human rights issues in Ireland and as essential monitors of States’ implementation of the core international human rights treaties thereby helping to generate change. I welcome these observations and I will be examining them in detail, along with colleagues right across Government, with a view to addressing them to the greatest possible extent in the forthcoming new National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028.”
ENDS
Note for Editors:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history with more countries having ratified the Convention than any other human rights treaty in history - 196 countries have become State Parties to the Convention as of December 2021.
• Ireland adopted the UNCRC in 1989 and ratified it in 1992.
• Ireland previously submitted reports in 1996, 2006 and 2013.
• In summer 2021, over 1,200 children and young people throughout Ireland took part in a consultation on their rights under the various UN Conventions which resulted in the “What WE Think” suite of reports which are available here.
• Ireland’s Fifth and Sixth State Report to the Committee was submitted on 15 February 2022.
• Ireland’s hearing before the CRC took place on the 24th and 25th January 2023.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention. All States Parties to the Convention are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how it is being implemented. Following the hearing, the Committee has made observations and recommendations to Ireland on the implementation of the Convention here.
Ireland’s delegation at the CRC Hearing was led by Minister Roderic O’Gorman and comprised senior officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Justice, Department of Social Protection, the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Attorney General’s Office.
Issued by the Press and Communications Office at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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