Irish Examiner View: Children now - Ireland fifth best for children

Ireland has been ranked in the top five best countries in the world for children to grow up in.

Norway was named the best country in the world for child “flourishing” a metric that includes health, education, survival, and nutrition.

A study carried out by the World Health Organisation, Unicef and the Lancet medical journal has put Ireland in fifth place globally when it comes to flourishing indicators.

Access to essential health services, access to food and protection from child labour, human trafficking and violence were also taken into account.

However, it is strange that the high cost of child care in Ireland does not appear to have been taken into account.

The report is also something of a mixed bag.

Norway, for instance, ranks No 1 because it has the best combination of child health outcomes, income levels, sustainability, and access to opportunity.

But in terms of sustainability, it ranks just 156th out of the 1,800 countries included.

That is because Norway has per capita carbon emissions 210% higher than the United Nations sustainability targets.

Ireland is ranked 154th on delivering on CO2 emissions as we emit 208% more than our 2030 target.

The report also reveals that the top five — Norway, South Korea, the Netherlands, France, and Ireland — are also the best of a bad lot as no single country is adequately protecting children’s health, their environment and their future.