Children’s groups meet over plan to merge offices

THE OMBUDSMAN for Children Emily Logan met with children’s representative groups yesterday to brief them on Bord Snip Nua’s proposal to merge her office with the Ombudsman’s Office.

Ms Logan said she called the meeting with the ISPCC, Barnardos, CARI, One in Four and the Children’s Rights Alliance as the office belongs to them. There is huge shock across the children’s sector that the Government could consider diluting the power of this office two months after the Ryan report was published.

“I am not this office. They are the people who campaigned for it since 1995. It is a recognition of their campaign,” she said. The Bord Snip Nua says the state will save €300,000 by merging the office with the Data Commissioner and the Ombudsman’s Office.