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 Starts with Us, published today (Thursday, May 22), shows the complaints are becoming more complex, with almost one in five relating to more than one agency, and a third relating to multiple categories of concern. Education remains the most complained about issue to the OCO at 33%, followed by Tusla (19%) and complaints about children’s health services (15%), including a lack of access to an Assessment of Need.

The report features the case of six-year-old Enda*, whose mother contacted us when her son was locked in a room at school due to his disruptive behaviour. Enda’s story highlights the importance of strong guidelines around Behaviours of Concern at school, which the OCO has engaged with the Department of Education on throughout the year. Elsewhere in the report we outline how a change to the eligibility criteria on the application form for the Long-Term Illness Scheme for children with ADHD has made a huge difference for families who contacted us when they were told they weren’t eligible. During 2024, the OCO engaged with almost 2,500 children through Rights Education workshops and school visits around the country, and continued important outreach work in Direct Provision and accommodation centres, Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus, CAMHS and community and voluntary centres.

This Annual Report marked the 20^th year since the OCO was established in 2004 to protect and promote the rights of children in Ireland. Many of the same issues for children are still coming up today, emphasising the need for the full and direct incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Irish law.

The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, commented:

“There has been much progress made for children in the two decades since our Office first opened its doors in 2004, but in the current climate of uncertainty and change, it is more important than ever for the State to bed down its commitment on children’s rights. That is why our Office is committed to driving our campaign for the full and direct incorporation of the UNCRC into Irish law.

“Incorporation is the most important thing we can do to protect and safeguard the rights of all children in Ireland. Every issue we highlight in our Annual Report leads us back to the need to give real force to the international obligations we have already signed up to. It will put children and their rights at the heart of every decision within the public and civil service and gives us a stronger basis to ensure we are keeping our promises to children.

“We have been raising these and other issues directly with the Taoiseach and Cabinet Ministers to ensure that every child in Ireland can fully enjoy their full suite of rights.

“As we reflect on the 20 years since our Office began working to promote and protect children’s rights in Ireland, the progress that has been made and the wonderful staff who have come through our doors in that time, we must also remember to look to the future and at the possibilities that lay before us to improve the lives of all children here.

“Ireland is now at a crossroads of what can be achieved for children and this Office will continue to push for the rights of children to be the signpost that is followed at all times. By doing that we can bring to life the Government’s promise to make Ireland the best place in Europe for children to grow up.”

 

ENDS

• 22 May 2025