News

Latest News

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  • 29 June 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Health

  A broken promise to children: OCO investigation details case of teenage girl waiting 5 years for scoliosis surgery

  A teenage girl with cerebral palsy who had to wait for five years for spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis saw her spinal curvature deteriorate from 30 to over 135 degrees in that time. An investigation into ...

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  • 23 June 2023
  • Topic: Education

  Protect and Respect rights of LGBTI+ children

  The Ombudsman for Children’s Office is delighted and excited to be taking part in this year’s Pride parade tomorrow (Sat, 24th June). While Pride is a time for celebration, it is also an important opportunity to ...

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  • 15 June 2023
  • Type: Statement
  • Topic: Child Protection, Children in Care, Disability, Education, Health, Housing, Mental Health

  Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen Thursday 15th June, 2023

  Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen Opening Statement by the Ombudsman for Children Thursday 15th June, 2023 Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen

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  • 31 May 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Education

  Ombudsman for Children welcomes provision of counselling in schools

  The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Education, Norma Foley, that a pilot scheme for counselling and mental health supports will be launched in September. Speaking following the announcement, ...

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  • 16 May 2023
  • Type: Press Release

  1,812 complaints to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office as Ireland falls behind on children’s rights

  There were 1,812 complaints to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office in 2022. Falling Behind; the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) Annual Report for 2022 reveals that education was once again the most complained about issue (30%), ...

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  • 5 May 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Mental Health

  A Piece of my Mind: Children’s experiences in the spotlight in new OCO mental health survey

  Six in ten children who attended Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the past year had difficulty accessing the service, with nearly half of them (42%) saying the service that they finally received didn’t ...

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  • 20 February 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Children in Care, Education, Housing, Mental Health

  Ombudsman for Children’s Office welcomes the publication of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding Observations

  Ombudsman for Children’s Office welcomes the publication of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding Observations The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) welcomes the publication of the UN Committee on the Rights of ...

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  • 24 January 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Child Protection

  UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to question the Minister for Children about progress and shortfalls in fulfilling children’s rights

  The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, along with representatives from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), will attend the constructive dialogue between the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Committee) and the Irish ...

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  • 7 December 2022
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Housing

  Local Authority doing better for children on halting site – Ombudsman for Children’s Office publishes No End in Site update

  The No End in Site report, published in 2021, detailed an investigation by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) into complaints made by 11 families who were living on a local authority housing site. In an ...

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  • 22 November 2022
  • Type: Statement
  • Topic: Education, Mental Health

  Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: ‘Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education’

  Opening Statement by the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, Tuesday, 22nd November 2022 I would like to thank the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for the invitation to ...