The latest report card by the Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) says the Government has failed to keep its promise to children in need of mental health assistance.
The annual report card by the CRA is a grading assessment of Programme for Government commitments.
For a third year, the Government received an ‘E’ grade over the continued admission of children to adult psychiatric units, something it had committed to end.
The report has also noted the “unacceptable rise” in waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as another reason for the grade.
Serious concern over declining standards in accommodation for children and young people, particularly in Direct Provision and new emergency facilities resulted in a ‘D’ grade.
The Government received a ‘D-‘ over the rise in child and family homelessness and its response to the impact of the housing crisis on children and young people last year.
“While families are exiting out of homelessness, into more stable and sustainable accommodation options, those options remain limited given the scale of building required to meet demand” according to the report.
The Government received some good grades in the report.
In the area of online safety, it received an ‘A’ for the enactment of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act and the establishment of an Online Safety Commissioner.
Consistent work towards delivering affordable and accessible childcare was also recognised with an ‘A-‘ grade.
This was due to investment in the early years sector which surpassed €1 billion in 2023, five years ahead of the commitment.
€4.5 million to commence work on the development of a new model for early years provision – to ensure equal access to early years by focusing resources on families living in poverty – has also been recognised.
The continued expansion of the free schoolbooks scheme to junior cycle students has been described as a ‘game-changer’ in the report, earning the Government an ‘A-‘.
There were three ‘B’ grades over efforts to create “new pathways” for long-term undocumented people and their children, addressing food poverty in children as well as the introduction of guidelines monitoring of reduced timetables.
Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance Tanya Ward has said improved grades in areas like food poverty, free schoolbooks and affordable childcare showed “clear momentum”.
However, she indicated that the same momentum was required to address the lack of progress in mental health and the serious challenges in housing and accommodation standards.
