#Childrens Health

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

'People in power...are living in the '50s in their head': Calls for publicly-funded childcare
'People in power...are living in the '50s in their head': Calls for publicly-funded childcare
Gráinne Ní Aodha talks to women who believe the private-led model of childcare has left parts of rural Ireland in the lurch as they are not densely populated enough for operators to be financially viable

Mon, 21 Sep, 2026

Physically Abused Child At Home Sitting On Sofa
Irish Examiner view: Time to focus on children's eating disorders
Eating disorders are now the biggest single category of psychiatric diagnosis among children admitted to hospital

Mon, 21 Sep, 2026

Young girl relax with her smartphone on a sofa
Snapchat 'like a haven for paedophiles': Tusla developing social media policy for children in care
Child Law Project cites a judge who said the accused in a recent case described Snapchat as ‘like a haven for paedophiles’

Sun, 20 Sep, 2026

Reading is Fun!
Childcare cost is a barrier to having children in rural Ireland – survey
In the 2026 Rural Ireland Thinks survey, 63% of respondents said the cost of childcare is an impediment to having children — up from 55% in 2024 when the survey was last taken

Sun, 20 Sep, 2026

Vaccination Queue
Ancient smallpox DNA found in Chile reveals new clues about how the deadly virus reached the Americas
Ancient viral fragments from Chile provide new clues about smallpox’s arrival in the Americas and its evolution into a human-only virus

Sat, 19 Sep, 2026

Unhappy teenage girl measuring waist in mirror
Parents in 'dire straits' over lack of services for children with eating disorders
Caring About Recovery From Eating Disorders (Cared) Ireland said there are six specialist community-based eating disorder teams for adults and five for children across the country

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026

Sick teenage girl
Child psychiatric units record rise in eating disorder admissions in 2025
Figures also show an increase in child admissions for depressive disorders last year

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Children with disabilities more likely to miss school
Children with disabilities more likely to miss school
A study by the ESRI and Tusla Education Support Service has found higher levels of school absence among children with disabilities and those experiencing socio-emotional difficulties

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Ministers told to 'prioritise and make choices and trade-offs' for Budget 2027
Ministers told to 'prioritise and make choices and trade-offs' for Budget 2027
Public expenditure minister says savings which can be reinvested by departments will need to be found

Wed, 16 Sep, 2026

Girl using her smart phone sitting on couch
Rural Ireland Thinks: Social media restrictions on under 16s supported by vast majority
The Irish Examiner survey results indicate that the Irish public favour restrictions over a ban

Wed, 16 Sep, 2026

Over the shoulder view of a child using a smartphone in a home environment
Child Law Project: Judge questioned Tusla's restrictions on children's access to phones
The judge had said: 'We talk about stranger danger, yet we allow anyone to talk to a child in their bedroom'

Mon, 14 Sep, 2026

Sad boy standing alone in the hallway
Child Law Project: Boy was sent to hospital as no suitable social care place was available 
The boy had been in the care system because of inappropriate interaction with his siblings, according to the Child Law Project's latest tranche of reports

Mon, 14 Sep, 2026

Homeschooling: Hands of an Unrecognizable Child Drawing While Sitting on her Mother's Lap, Lockdown Activities Concept (Overhead
Childminder says new regulations threaten to squeeze operators out of the system
Department of Children said its new regulations offer safeguards to children and gives quality assurance to parents

Sun, 13 Sep, 2026

No completion date agreed for Ireland’s €2.2bn National Children’s Hospital
No completion date agreed for Ireland’s €2.2bn National Children’s Hospital
The €2.2bn project has now missed 20 deadlines, with about 2,000 defects remaining and compliance issues still being addressed

Sun, 13 Sep, 2026

Programme that brings the circus to halting sites 'giving children the space to be themselves'
S Programme that brings the circus to halting sites 'giving children the space to be themselves'
It’s all part of a new community engagement programme called Sorcán and Circus which was developed by Traveller musician and screenwriter Willzee (William Casey), in conjunction with the Irish Aerial Creation Centre, writes Sarah Horgan

Sat, 12 Sep, 2026

Budget expected to include funds for shingles vaccine, but no change for Drugs Payment Scheme
Budget expected to include funds for shingles vaccine, but no change for Drugs Payment Scheme
Meanwhile, the Government is considering applying different tax rates to home heating oil and petrol and diesel

Fri, 11 Sep, 2026

A child using a laptop.
Social media's 'harmful' designs to hook children also found in online games and AI apps, study finds
The analysis from UK-based 5Rights Foundation looked at TikTok, Threads, WeChat, ChatGPT, Reflectly, Google Gemini, Barbie Horse Ride & Rescue, Monopoly Go! and Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Fri, 11 Sep, 2026

Lonely sad boy at home
Failing to identify fetal alcohol syndrome has consequences far beyond health system
The lack of action on a pathway for fetal alcohol syndrome is showing in so-called 'difficult' and 'defiant' young people who were never diagnosed 

Wed, 09 Sep, 2026

Denise Charlton: There's a compelling argument for a children's budget
Denise Charlton: There's a compelling argument for a children's budget
Our series of reports show we are in danger of becoming the first generation in modern Ireland to pass on a poorer society to the next

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Teen woman with headache holding her head
'Children at risk over failure to introduce new system to identify human trafficking'
Currently, victims of human trafficking in Ireland can only be formally recognised by gardaí

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Social media app icons displayed on Apple iPhone
Social media firms must be forced to adopt child protection policies, Tánaiste says
Also, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said child poverty would be a priority as Budget 2027 is finalised in the weeks ahead

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Preschool teacher in classroom greeting new student
Our children deserve early years education that prioritises their needs over profits
We have become so used to thinking of childcare as big business that we have forgotten there are many, some quite obvious, solutions to the crisis we are facing

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

Breastfeeding conference forced to move online after threats over 'men chest-feeding' advocate
Breastfeeding conference forced to move online after threats over 'men chest-feeding' advocate
In one of his books, Jacob Engelsman says men may wish to produce milk 'to feed and bond with their baby and to a lesser extent, for curiosity, fun or sexual gratification'

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

Digital safety charity criticises EU over AI Act's 'get-out clauses'
Digital safety charity criticises EU over AI Act's 'get-out clauses'
Olwyn Beresford, the lead researcher at CyberSafeKids, said the suggestions around the safe use of AI, such as parental controls, have already been proven to not be a solution

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

London. UK-08.01.2023. The logo and name of the technology company OpenAI which developed the ChatGPT.
Children's use of AI has 'exploded' in last 12 months, experts warn
CyberSafeKid's annual report also found that Roblox is now the most cited platform where eight to 12-year-olds encounter negative experiences

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

Girl using her smart phone sitting on couch
New rules have failed to lower amount of harmful online content faced by children, experts say
CyberSafeKids’ tenth annual report also documents the 'explosive growth' in children’s use of generative AI

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

Teachers and pupils to be screened for TB at Cork school
Teachers and pupils to be screened for TB at Cork school
Screening of staff and students at Coláiste Éamann Rís, Deerpark Cork city has  been started as a 'precautionary measure'

Mon, 31 Aug, 2026

Boy playing with the interactive board
Average cost of residential placement for child with disability hits €571,000 per year
Just three commercial operators account for two-thirds of the private placements offered to children with disabilities

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

Jolene Cox: Hot school meals are a great idea — but we can do it better
Jolene Cox: Hot school meals are a great idea — but we can do it better
The idea behind the hot school lunch scheme is solid — to give primary school children across Ireland a free, nutritious hot meal every day, but if it’s gloopy or 'tastes like wet dog' (the children’s words), it is destined for the bin, and its nutritional value is irrelevant. 

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Jess Casey: Are we any nearer to fixing the Leaving Cert's fundamental flaws?
Jess Casey: Are we any nearer to fixing the Leaving Cert's fundamental flaws?
Five years after the ombudsman's warning, students, parents, teachers, principals and third-level academics are still calling for reform 

Wed, 26 Aug, 2026

Groups call for end to 'archaic' Leaving Cert points system as CAO offers due later today
Groups call for end to 'archaic' Leaving Cert points system as CAO offers due later today
"For thousands of teenagers, the Leaving Cert and the CAO process is a time of stomach-curdling dread," said Tanya Ward of the Children’s Rights Alliance, ahead of Round One CAO college offers today.

Wed, 26 Aug, 2026

People living with Friedreich’s ataxia beg HSE to approve drug
People living with Friedreich’s ataxia beg HSE to approve drug
Skyclarys is the only drug approved for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare progressive neuromuscular condition affecting around 200 people in Ireland

Thu, 20 Aug, 2026

Meta accused of covering up research on teen social media addiction
Meta accused of covering up research on teen social media addiction
Lawyers representing 29 US states have accused Meta of covering up internal research that showed that Instagram was addictive for teenagers

Tue, 18 Aug, 2026

DfE study
Students with special educational needs restrained 850 times in schools since September
850 instances of children in crisis being physically restrained since last September — 90% of whom have special educational needs

Mon, 17 Aug, 2026

Ireland's dental care 'crisis' is hurting disadvantaged children and medical card holders
Ireland's dental care 'crisis' is hurting disadvantaged children and medical card holders
Dental services across Ireland are in a state of "crisis", with disadvantaged children and medical card holders unable to avail of free treatment

Mon, 17 Aug, 2026

Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s USAID cuts will cause 4.5m child deaths
‘The Lancet’ report shows that the US DOGE defunding of foreign aid has reversed decades of progress in child health worldwide, writes Dr Suzanne Crowe

Sun, 16 Aug, 2026

Boy using asthma inhaler to treat inflammatory disease, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Allergy tre
Gareth O'Callaghan: I nearly died because I couldn’t breathe. Children shouldn’t have to face the same risk
With asthma deaths rising and families struggling to afford medication, Gareth O'Callaghan calls for free inhalers for children

Sat, 15 Aug, 2026

Thoughtful girl resting on bed in hospital
Children’s Health Ireland: 104 children on spinal surgery waiting list 
New data also shows that three children have been waiting over a year and a half

Fri, 14 Aug, 2026

DPC's viral campaign on 'sharenting' children's photos and information online costs €615k
DPC's viral campaign on 'sharenting' children's photos and information online costs €615k
The Data Protection Commission said the campaign generated more than 150 million views worldwide, including 45 million views on its own social media channels

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

Young boy sitting outside holding a mobile or cellular smart phone. Connectivity, internet, millenial, screen time concepts.
Research to examine if 'the right to privacy trumps the right to protection' of children online
It comes just weeks after a decision by the European Council to extend a temporary measure until April 3 next year, allowing technology companies to detect and remove child sexual abuse material in private, non-encrypted communications

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

European Parliament committee seeks report from minister on delays to assessments of need
European Parliament committee seeks report from minister on delays to assessments of need
A group of Irish mothers travelled to Brussels to argue their case

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

Preschool teacher in classroom greeting new student
'Children should learn about consent from pre-school age'
Children should be taught they have a choice about whether to hug someone, says leading advocate against sexual violence

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Oberstown faces further work stoppage due to concerns over resources and staffing
Oberstown faces further work stoppage due to concerns over resources and staffing
Fórsa trade union members plan to stage an eight-hour work stoppage from 9am on Tuesday

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

National Rehabilitation Hospital to trial fold-out beds for parents
National Rehabilitation Hospital to trial fold-out beds for parents
Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson David Cullinane warned 'temporary fixes' and chair beds are not acceptable for parents 

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

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