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Latest News

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  • 5 September 2023

  Children with disabilities and their families are being left with Nowhere to Turn

  New OCO report shows children are being left in emergency departments, schools and respite centres by desperate parents in an attempt to access vital services Parents of some children with complex disabilities are making the agonising ...

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  • 26 July 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Mental Health

  Mental Health Commission report: Ombudsman for Children calls for urgent action to address widespread CAMHS deficits

  The Independent Review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) published today by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) highlights once again that urgent action is needed to ensure all children and young people have access ...

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  • 20 July 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Education

  UN Children’s Committee Vice Chair who expressed alarm at Ireland’s Mental Health Services visits Ireland

  Member of UN Committee on Rights of the Child, Prof Philip D. Jaffé in Dublin for OCO children’s event A leading member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child will be in Dublin ...

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  • 18 July 2023
  • Type: Press Release
  • Topic: Children in Care

  Statement from Dr.Niall Muldoon on the Child Law Project Report on Special Care

  Comment from the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon: “The serious issues highlighted by Judge Simms in relation to the lack of regulated suitable placements for foster care, residential placements and special care, are of concern ...

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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 ...