Children’s groups critical of Government failings

Government failures to protect children’s health, welfare and rights are still rife despite commitments to do better in all areas, the national coalition of children’s organisations has warned.

The Children’s Rights Alliance’s first annual ‘report card’ on the Fine Gael-Labour administration is expected to say the Coalition’s performance is an improvement on its predecessor but that it still has a long way to go to deliver on the promises made in the Programme for Government.

In particular the ‘Is The Government Keeping Its Promises to Children’ report raises serious concerns about the detention of children in prison 10 years after legislation ruled the practice unacceptable. Giving the Government an ‘F’ grade on the subject, the Alliance warns that the continued detention of boys of 16 and 17 in the Victorian-era St Patrick’s Institution on the Mountjoy campus breached domestic and international human rights law.

It also made no sense economically and was no assistance to society in general given the high rate of repeat offending that the outdated institution produced.

Plans were made to replace it with a new custom-built detention school and €70,000 was spent on gates to the earmarked construction field but last month’s budget excluded further funding to progress the project.

Liam Herrick, director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust which is a member of the alliance, said it was a major failing. “There has been a long-standing government commitment to treat children in an appropriate manner and a long-standing failure to do so.” Concerns include:

* Under 18s mix with adult inmates in some areas and activities.

* A third of under 18s request protection but that means locking them up 23 hours a day.

* Under 18s who are not convicted but on remand awaiting trial are held there.

* Most family visits to under 18s take place behind screens with no physical contact allowed.

* Under 18s there have no recourse to the Children’s Ombudsman.

* The regime is punitive rather than rehabilitative and recidivism rates among those detained there are high.

Mr Herrick said there was a need for clarity on the plans to replace the institution. “There is no funding allocated to the project as we speak but the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has said it is still possible and we very much hope that she is right.”

The Children’s Rights Alliance, which comprises more than 90 voluntary and charitable organisations working with or for children, began its annual grading exercise of government performance in 2009.

The last government’s final grade, based on an overall assessment of progress on children’s health, education, material wellbeing, safeguards and rights was a D-minus.

The latest report, to be published today, is expected to award a higher overall grade, noting improvements such as the creation of a dedicated Department of Children and Youth Affairs.