The issues children face in Ireland are “unacceptable and unconstitutional” according to a new report released.

The Children's Rights Alliance has launched its annual report card today, which grades the Government on whether it delivers on its commitments.

The report recognises significant progress made in key areas over the course of the Programme for Government, particularly in areas like early childhood education and food poverty, but also how the Government has failed to keep a number of promises to children.

On Breakfast Briefing, Children's Rights Alliance Chief Executive Tanya Ward said the story of the Government, particularly over the last five years, has been “a tale of two halves”.

“Look, they've made great strides when it comes to introducing measures such as school books, you know, you've got nearly a million children benefiting from free school books,” she said.

“Now, this September, they introduced hot school meals, you've got nearly 300,000 children benefiting from that and in early years, there's been huge levels of reform.

“You've got about 200,000 plus parents benefiting from some support for childcare costs and well over a billion going into early years provision.

“So huge milestones have been met on that side.”

Brown soft teddy bear lying abandoned on the floor of a house. Image: Alamy

Ms Ward said where the Government really struggles is in relation to child refugees, mental health and homelessness.

“The Government had done quite a good bit of work trying to improve the experience in accommodation for refugee children and to put national standards in place," she said.

"But essentially, when the numbers of people arriving increased, they abandoned those standards and they created a new form of a low quality direct provision, is the truth of it.

“You've got nearly 7,000 children now in accommodation that's not in line with their children's rights standards."

Ms Ward explained that families are in overcrowded conditions, possibly with pests, without proper cooking facilities, in isolated locations and possibly without enough washing machines or bathroom facilities, etc.

Close up of ittle girl standing near window and looking. Image: Alamy

Ms Ward said it’s disappointing to see some of the “very basic standards” not met.

“What's deeply disappointing is that, where the Government did have some measures in their control, they also abandoned those measures inexplicably as well,” she said.

“For over two years, they put aside money to introduce a new payment for children in the direct provision system, because they don't benefit from all the key payments that other children in the country do.

“They were really struggling with the cost of living because they got no increase in their weekly payments, and yet the Government put the money aside, passed it through the budget, but didn't introduce it over two years.

“Essentially, what they did over the period was they abandoned plans to end direct provision, which is deeply disappointing.”

An upset child girl covering her face with hands. Image: Alamy

Ms Ward said the congregated setting of direct provision causes many issues.

“[With direct provision] people coming seeking protection will end up in congregated settings and when you're in a congregated setting, the chances you're more likely to become institutionalised yourself [are higher],” she said.

“What you want to do for people seeking protection is process their case quickly enough so they're not spending a long period of time in the country waiting for their case to be processed.”

Waiting Lists

Ms Ward said one of the areas the report has highlighted as critical from the Government is around children and young people’s mental health.

“So while they've done, I suppose, better in terms of reducing the numbers of children going into adult psychiatric units… what hasn't improved is the waiting list for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS),” she said.

“Over the lifetime of the outgoing Government, an extra 1,000 children have ended up on the waiting list for CAMHS - you're talking about 3,800 - and about 500 of them are waiting more than a year.”

A parent holds hands with a child across a table, Alamy

Ms Ward said the “poorest thing” from the Government is the lack of school spaces for special needs children.

“It's unacceptable in a country with the kind of money we have and the kind of capacity we have that there are children that don't have school places, 156 children without a school place,” she said.

“I mean it's unconstitutional and it's unacceptable that that's actually happening."

Ms Ward said the key areas the Government needs to “double down on” are around housing and healthcare.

Children queue up for a meal in a school canteen, Alamy.