Campaign calls for earlier intervention in childhood issues

More than 30 organisations say the focus for investment in children should realign from crisis-driven interventions to prevention.

The "Hands up for Children" campaign is calling for more prevention and early learning.

12% of Irish children are living in consistent poverty, and Ireland's investment in early years services is below the OECD average.

Marian Quinn of the Childhood Development Initiative said early intervention has a better record than later help.

"If you provide support to a child or a family very early, they'll often need less," she said.

Quinn said the approach applies to a full spectrum of services for children and families, from preventing or reducing the impact of any form of abuse, to therapy and assistance.

"A good example is if a child needs speech and language therapy - if that child is identified at three or four years of age, the chances are they'll need very little … to get to a usual language development"