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News
Here you can find all our press releases and statements and some speeches made by Niall or members of the OCO team.
Latest News
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- 10 September 2025
- Type: Press Release
Cosc ar fhóin i scoileanna – léirítear le taighde nua OCO an fáth nach n-oireann an toise céanna do gach duine
Foilseoidh Oifig an Ombudsman do Leanaí (OCO) Ní Oireann an Toise Céanna do Gach Duine – tuarascáil ar chosc ar fhóin i scoileanna agus ar chearta leanaí i gcomhar le Painéal Comhairleach na nÓige (YAP) de ...
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- 10 September 2025
- Type: Press Release
Phone bans in schools- new OCO research shows why one size doesn’t fit all
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) published One Size Does Not Fit All– a report on phone bans in schools and children’s rights with the OCO’s Youth Advisory Panel (YAP). As well as presenting the views ...
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- 4 September 2025
- Type: Statement
Statement from the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon in relation to the disappearance and possible death of a child in North Dublin
“It is shocking that we are dealing with a situation where a child, who at one point was known to the Tusla, could have disappeared four years ago and is now presumed dead. “How could that ...
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- 14 August 2025
- Type: Press Release
Children’s rights overlooked during the pandemic – Ombudsman for Children tells Independent Pandemic Evaluation Panel
The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, has today told the Independent Pandemic Evaluation Panel that children suffered disproportionately as a result of Covid measures implemented by the State during the pandemic, with their rights often ...
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- 25 July 2025
- Type: Statement
Ombudsman and Ombudsman for Children sign Memorandum of Understanding
On Thursday 24 July 2025 the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, and the Office of the Ombudsman, Ger Deering, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further their shared commitment towards working together as effectively ...
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- 23 July 2025
- Type: Statement
- Topic: Online
OCO statement on new online safety measures
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) has welcomed the new online age verification and parental control rules for video sharing platform providers being rolled out for children this week as a ‘first step’ toward keeping children ...
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- 27 June 2025
- Type: Speech
- Topic: Child Protection, Children in Care, Disability, Housing
Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality
Opening Statement by the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon Thursday, 26th June 2025 I thank the Chair and the Committee for inviting us to discuss Tomorrow Starts with Us; The Ombudsman for Children’s Office 2024 Annual ...
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- 25 June 2025
- Type: Press Release
- Topic: Housing
Ombudsman for Children to call for Child and Family Homelessness strategy at Oireachtas Housing Committee hearing
The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, will call for a child and family homelessness strategy to be put in place, with a focus on prevention, at a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and ...
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- 22 May 2025
1,772 complaints to OCO in 2024 highlights need for children’s rights to be fully incorporated into Irish law
The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) continued to receive a high volume of complaints about children’s public services last year, with 1,772 contacts about complaints made to the Office. The OCO’s Annual Report for 2024 Tomorrow ...
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- 30 April 2025
- Type: Press Release
- Topic: Youth Justice
OCO successful in calls for Child Centred Justice in Irish courts as new measures brought in for child defendants
Following engagement with the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), the Department of Justice has introduced a new court accompaniment service for child defendants, which is being rolled out in over 100 youth diversion projects across the ...