OCO report highlights need for a right-based system for children in care

OCO report highlights need for a rights-based system for children in care

“Nobody cares.” “If I was in Government, I would get rid of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs), they are ruining kids’ lives.” “I feel the void and weight of not properly getting to know my sisters in their most formative years.”  The voices of some of the children in care featured in the OCO’s report.

A new report from the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) sheds light on the full extent of the crisis across Ireland’s care system for children, revealing a system that is consistently underfunded and in which some of the most profound breaches of their rights occur. Let’s Get it Right- a rights-based vision for children in care highlights how the system is not currently operating in the best interests of all children, despite the best efforts of staff in the sector. However, the OCO believes there is now a real opportunity to make a once in a generational change to our care system with the development of the Government’s first ever National Alternative Care Plan and a review of the 25-year-old legislation underpinning child protection in Ireland. The OCO report makes several recommendations across eight key areas for children in care, which it hopes will be reflected in the Government’s plans due later this year. The OCO is also committing to publishing a shadow report every two years to monitor and track progress on the Government’s commitments. While the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is the lead department, the Government’s new plan will only be successful if all government departments and agencies get behind it so every child in the care system can reach their potential.

There are currently nearly 6,000 children in the care of the State. In outlining the challenges for the system, the OCO presents a right-based vision for one that protects, respects and fulfils the rights of all children in care. To achieve this, we must continue to provide and support family-based care, while ensuring the public provision of high-quality alternative care options with robust oversight. The OCO recommendations include investment in early family intervention and prevention services, as well as increasing support for foster carers and recognising kinship carers; banning the placement of children in unregulated accommodation and ending the use of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs); and the need for a review of Tusla funding so it can carry out the broad scope of its remit and to ensure it is sufficiently resourced to keep children safe and properly cared for.

Commenting on Let’s Get it Right- A rights-based vision for children in care, Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon said:

“When the State takes a child into care it is saying that we can do better for that child. But despite the dedication of staff in the sector, we see through complaints to our Office every year and the harrowing news stories and reports in the media, that children in care are too often being let down. It is also jarring that members of the judiciary have felt compelled on many times to speak out about the urgency of the situation for children in care.

“We are calling for the Government to make family-based care the fundamental pillar of the new National Alternative Care Plan. We know that children thrive in foster families and kinship care, but we need to make sure these families are properly supported. For children and young people who require residential care, the new plan must shift away from private providers towards investment in high quality, publicly provided services.  We also want to see measures put in place for children at the greatest risk of rights violations, such as unaccompanied and separated children and children with disabilities, and for children’s rights to be at the centre of the system through the incorporation of the UNCRC into domestic law.

“Our report also highlights the current challenges in the system and our concerns over the level of funding being made available to Tusla. It is hard to fathom why, despite an increase of over 100% in referrals over the past ten years and an expanded remit over that time, Tusla would receive just 48% of what it asked for in pre-budget estimates between 2021 and 2026. Combined with the other demands facing Tusla such as the shortage of social workers and alternative care places, and global factors like the war in Ukraine, there is a clear need to review the level of funding to Tusla to ensure its ability to protect and care for children is not compromised.

“Central to our report are the experiences of the children who have come into contact with the OCO over the years, and whose experiences have helped to shape our recommendations. James* (16) who was detained in a Special Care Unit for three years when there was no suitable place available for him; Jasmine* (15), who was placed in a chaotic situation in SEAs, going missing several times and suffering sexual assault; and 4 and 5 year old brothers Luke* and Aaron*, who were placed in residential care where they had to share their placement with teenagers, because there was no foster care placement available for them.

“Children in care have already overcome so much in their short lives, so when the State steps into the role of parent, it is incumbent on them to make sure it does so, knowing with absolute certainty, that it can make those lives better.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

*The children featured in the case studies throughout our report have been given pseudonyms to protect their identities.

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Leagann tuarascáil OCO béim ar chóras atá i ngéarchéim do leanaí faoi chúram

“Is cuma le gach duine.” “Dá mbeinn sa Rialtas, gheobhainn réidh le Socruithe Éigeandála Speisialta (SEAnna), tá siad ag scriosadh saoil leanaí.” “Braithim an folús agus an meáchan a bhaineann le gan aithne cheart a chur ar mo dheirfiúracha sna blianta múnlaitheacha atá acu.”  Bhí guthanna cuid de na leanaí atá faoi chúram le cloisint i dtuarascáil an OCO.

Tugann tuarascáil nua ó Oifig an Ombudsman do Leanaí (OCO) léargas ar mhéid iomlán na géarchéime ar fud chóras cúraim na hÉireann do leanaí, ag nochtadh córas atá tearcmhaoinithe go seasta agus ina dtarlaíonn cuid de na sáruithe is doimhne ar a gcearta. Déanaimis i gCeart É – léiríonn fís atá bunaithe ar chearta do leanaí faoi chúram an chaoi nach bhfuil an córas ag feidhmiú ar mhaithe le leas gach linbh faoi láthair, in ainneoin iarrachtaí is fearr na foirne san earnáil. Creideann an OCO, áfach, go bhfuil fíordheis ann anois athrú uair amháin sa ghlúin a dhéanamh ar ár gcóras cúraim le forbairt na chéad Straitéise um Chúram Malartach riamh de chuid an Rialtais agus trí athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an reachtaíocht 25 bliain d’aois atá mar bhonn agus thaca ag cosaint leanaí in Éirinn. Déantar roinnt moltaí i dtuarascáil an OCO thar ocht bpríomhréimse do leanaí faoi chúram, agus tá súil aici go léireofar iad i bpleananna an Rialtais atá le teacht níos déanaí i mbliana. Tá an OCO tiomanta freisin do scáth-thuarascáil a fhoilsiú gach dhá bhliain chun monatóireacht agus rianú a dhéanamh ar dhul chun cinn tiomantais an Rialtais.

Tá beagnach 6,000 leanbh faoi chúram an Stáit faoi láthair. Agus na dúshláin don chóras á gcur i láthair, cuireann an OCO fís cheartbhunaithe i láthair do cheann a chosnaíonn, a thugann urraim agus a chomhlíonann cearta gach linbh atá faoi chúram. Chun é sin a bhaint amach, ní mór dúinn leanúint de chúram teaghlaighbhunaithe a sholáthar agus tacú leis, agus ag an am céanna soláthar poiblí roghanna um chúram malartach ardchaighdeáin a chinntiú le maoirseacht láidir. Áirítear ar mholtaí OCO infheistíocht i seirbhísí luath-idirghabhála teaghlaigh agus coisctheacha, chomh maith le tacaíocht a mhéadú do chúramóirí altrama agus aitheantas a thabhairt do chúramóirí gaoil; cosc a chur ar leanaí a bheith lonnaithe i gcóiríocht neamhrialaithe agus deireadh a chur le húsáid Socruithe Éigeandála Speisialta (SEAanna); agus an gá atá le hathbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar mhaoiniú Tusla ionas gur féidir leis raon feidhme leathan a shainchúraim a chur i gcrích agus a chinntiú go bhfuil dóthain acmhainní ann chun leanaí a choinneáil sábháilte agus cúram cuí a thabhairt dóibh. Cé gurb í an Roinn Leanaí, Míchumais agus Comhionannais an phríomh-Roinn, ní éireoidh le plean nua an Rialtais ach amháin má théann gach Roinn Rialtais agus Gníomhaireacht taobh thiar de ionas gur féidir le gach leanbh sa chóras cúraim a gcumas a bhaint amach.

Agus é ag trácht ar  Déanaimis i gCeart É – Fís ceartbhunaithe do leanaí faoi chúram, dúirt an tOmbudsman do Leanaí, an Dr Niall Muldoon:

“Nuair a thugann an Stát cúram do leanbh, tá sé á rá acu gur féidir linn níos fearr a dhéanamh don leanbh sin. Ach in ainneoin dhíograis na foirne san earnáil, feicimid trí ghearáin chuig ár nOifig gach bliain agus na scéalta nuachta agus tuairiscí uafásacha sna meáin, go mbíonn leanaí faoi chúram á ligean síos rómhinic. Tá sé scanrúil freisin gur bhraith baill de na breithiúna go raibh iallach orthu labhairt amach go minic faoi phráinn an cháis do leanaí faoi chúram.

“Táimid ag iarraidh ar an Rialtas cúram teaghlaighbhunaithe a dhéanamh mar bhunchloch an Phlean Náisiúnta um Chúram Malartach nua. Tá a fhios againn go n-éiríonn le leanaí i dteaghlaigh altrama agus i gcúram gaoil, ach ní mór dúinn a chinntiú go dtugtar tacaíocht cheart do na teaghlaigh seo. I gcás leanaí agus daoine óga a dteastaíonn cúram cónaithe uathu, ní mór don phlean nua aistriú ó sholáthraithe príobháideacha i dtreo infheistíochta i seirbhísí ardchaighdeáin a chuirtear ar fáil go poiblí.  Ba mhaith linn freisin bearta a fheiceáil a chuirtear i bhfeidhm do leanaí atá i mbaol sáruithe ar chearta, amhail leanaí neamhthionlactha agus scartha agus leanaí faoi mhíchumas, agus cearta leanaí a bheith i gcroílár an chórais  trí UNCRC a ionchorprú sa dlí intíre.

“Leagtar béim inár dtuarascáil freisin ar na dúshláin atá ann faoi láthair sa chóras agus ar na hábhair imní atá againn maidir leis an leibhéal maoinithe atá á chur ar fáil do Tusla. Is deacair a thuiscint cén fáth, in ainneoin méadú os cionn 100% ar atreoruithe le deich mbliana anuas agus sainchúram méadaithe le himeacht ama, nach bhfaigheadh Tusla ach 48% den mhéid a d’iarr sé i meastacháin réamhbhuiséid idir 2021 agus 2026. In éineacht leis na héilimh eile atá os comhair Tusla amhail ganntanas oibrithe sóisialta agus áiteanna um chúram malartach, agus tosca domhanda amhail an cogadh san Úcráin, tá gá soiléir le hathbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an leibhéal maoinithe do Tusla chun a chinntiú nach gcuirtear isteach ar a chumas leanaí a chosaint agus cúram a thabhairt dóibh.

“Is cuid lárnach dár dtuarascáil é taithí na leanaí a tháinig i dteagmháil leis an OCO thar na blianta, agus ar chuidigh a dtaithí lenár moltaí a mhúnlú. James* (16) a coinníodh in Aonad Cúraim Speisialta ar feadh trí bliana nuair nach raibh aon áit oiriúnach ar fáil dó; Jasmine* (15), a cuireadh i staid anordúil in SEAnna, ag dul ar iarraidh arís agus arís eile agus ag fulaingt ionsaí gnéasach; agus deartháireacha Luke* agus Aaron*, 4 agus 5 bliana d’aois, a cuireadh i gcúram cónaithe áit a raibh orthu a socrúchán a roinnt le déagóirí, toisc nach raibh aon socrúchán cúraim altrama ar fáil dóibh.

“Tá an oiread sin sáraithe ag leanaí atá faoi chúram cheana féin ina saol gearr, mar sin nuair a ghlacann an Stát ról an tuismitheora, tá sé de dhualgas orthu a chinntiú go ndéanann sé amhlaidh, agus iad cinnte go hiomlán gur féidir leis na saolta sin a fheabhsú.”

CRÍOCH

Nótaí don Eagarthóir

* Tugadh ainmneacha bréige do na leanaí a bhí le haithint sna cás-staidéir ar fud ár dtuarascáil chun a bhféiniúlacht a chosaint.

• 24 March 2026
• Type: Press Release
• Topic: Children in Care