Improvements in direct provision must come now, says children’s ombudsman

Dr Niall Muldoon, the ombudsman for children. Picture: Moya Nolan

The direct provision system must see changes now to improve the lives of children and the white paper on ending the system by 2024 cannot be used to justify “poor” services, the children’s ombudsman has said.

Dr Niall Muldoon was speaking at the Oireachtas public petitions committee about the findings of a recent investigation which found that the direct provision system did not support children or their best interests.