Home > Uncertain times: the Ombudsman for Children annual report 2023.

Ombudsman for Children’s Office. (2024) Uncertain times: the Ombudsman for Children annual report 2023. Dublin: Ombudsman for Children’s Office.

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A total of 1,790 complaints were made to the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) about children’s public services in Ireland last year, with education once again the biggest concern, followed by health and complaints about Tusla. Uncertain Times, the OCO’s Annual Report for 2023, shows that complaints are becoming more complex, with one in five relating to more than one State agency. After education (40%), health and Tusla were the most complained about topics (both 23%), along with housing (7%). While not in the OCO’s remit, a notable 4% of complaints related to Early Childhood Education and Care. This is significant as there is no robust oversight of the complaints Most complaints were about children aged 10-14 years (33%), while 82% of complaints came from parents, and 3% from children themselves.

P.24. We outlined the relevant children’s rights standards, including Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which requires States to recognise a child’s right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health, as well as the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s guidance that the minimum age limit should be 18 years for the purchase and consumption of alcohol and tobacco, in view of the degree of associated risk and harm. We supported the development of regulations that prevent access to nicotine inhaling products to all children aged under 18 in order to protect their right to the highest attainable standard of health. We suggested that consideration should be given to developing regulations that are, at a minimum, on par with regulations around the availability of, and exposure to tobacco products. We also asked the Minister to consider regulating to provide stronger safeguards for children and young people around access to, and advertising of, both tobacco and nicotine inhaling products.  We will continue to monitor developments in this area.

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