Ombudsman for children to focus on public bodies

An expert group set up by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office to investigate areas of concern affecting children is due to deliver its report by the end of next month.

The newly appointed children’s ombudsman, Niall Muldoon, said that the group had been speaking with focus groups and with other agencies and organisations which worked with children to determine the key areas of concern that impact on children.

One focus for the group, which is chaired by University College Cork law lecturer, Ursula Kilkelly, is the manner in which public bodies and the decisions they make can adversely affect children and their welfare.