Home > Young Ireland: national policy framework for children and young people.

Dillon, Lucy (2024) Young Ireland: national policy framework for children and young people. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 89, Autumn 2024, pp. 14-16.

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In November 2023, Young Ireland: national policy framework for children and young people was launched by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).1 It sets out the policy direction and key priorities in respect of children and young people (aged 0–24 years) in Ireland across all Government Departments and State agencies to the end of 2028.

Background
Young Ireland is the successor strategy to Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the national policy framework for children & young people 2014–2020, which was Ireland’s first national policy framework for children and young people.2 Overall, Young Ireland reflects a continuation in its aim, focus, and approach when compared with its predecessor.

It is grounded in the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child, as ratified by Ireland in 1992.

Following an oral presentation to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Geneva in 2023, a set of concluding observations was published on Ireland’s compliance with the Convention. While Ireland was found to have made progress in some areas, it was also criticised under several topic areas. For example, in relation to non-discrimination, addressing violence, mental health, standards of living, education, and child justice. The authors of Young Ireland note that the framework was developed in part as a response to the UNCRC’s observations. It is also informed by the Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as other national and international strategies.

Vision and framework
The vision of Young Ireland is of ‘an Ireland which fully respects and realises the rights of children and young people’ (p. 8).1

As laid out in a summary of the framework, it:

  • Sets out current issues impacting children and young people identified by them, as demonstrated by the Children and Young People’s Indicator Set4 and as highlighted by the UNCRC in 20233
  • Sets out a programme of work to create an enabling environment to ensure that children and young people are a central part of everyone’s agenda
  • Announces spotlight programmes to focus on the most significant challenges for children and young people, with resources from across Government
  • Re-establishes governance structures, where the State will work with civil society partners to provide renewed leadership and impetus to realise existing policy commitments, such as First 5; Ireland’s European Child Guarantee National Action Plan; the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office; and other major policy initiatives across Government impacting children and young people
  • Identifies the priority areas requiring coordinated action across Government
  • Identifies a number of complementary actions to address issues that were identified during the development of the framework.

Focus on vulnerable young people
While the strategy is concerned with all children and young people, it has a particular focus on those who face additional challenges, including:

Those with a disability; with mental health challenges; living in or at risk of poverty including homelessness; who are members of the Traveller or Roma communities; who are members of the LGBTI+ community; who have suffered abuse or neglect; seeking international protection; from minority ethnic backgrounds; migrant children and young people; living in a single parent household; living in Care or Aftercare; who are young carers; living in a household with substance misuse; or with a family member in prison.”
(p. 8).1

Spotlights
To meet the needs of children and young people who are more vulnerable to poor outcomes, Young Ireland identifies an initial set of three ‘spotlights’. Spotlights are areas which require action across Government and concentrate on these pressing challenges in a focused, time-bound way. Hence, there will be ‘a concerted effort over a specified period of time to generate the necessary momentum for change’ (p. 16).1 While it is envisaged that more spotlights will be identified in the course of the strategy, the data strongly indicate that the first three should be: child and youth poverty, mental health and well-being for children and young people, and disability services. Child poverty will be the first spotlight for the strategy – it is being delivered through the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach, which will ‘enhance accountability for actions to address child poverty and well-being, and bring strategic focus to a select number of priority commitments to accelerate implementation’ (p. 16).1 Following this spotlight, the Department of Health will lead on the mental health and well-being spotlight, followed by one on disability services.

Measuring success
The five national outcomes identified for Young Ireland are the same as those of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. They are that all children and young people will:

  • Be active and healthy
  • Be achieving in learning and development
  • Be safe and protected from harm
  • Have economic security and opportunity
  • Be connected, respected and contributing to their world.

These outcomes will be tracked over the course of the strategy using a Children and Young People’s Indicator Set, developed by DCEDIY. It includes a set of indicators for each outcome. The indicators use data from a range of sources, including administrative surveys and Census data.4

Young Ireland and the national drugs strategy
Young Ireland is aligned with Ireland’s national drugs strategy and is specifically identified under the outcome of ‘safe and protected from harm’, in which it cites the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, as one of the existing policies and strategies that complements its work.5


1    Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (2023) Young Ireland: national policy framework for children and young people 2023–2028. Dublin: Government of Ireland. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/39966/

2    Department of Children and Youth Affairs (2014) Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the national policy framework for children & young people 2014–2020. Dublin: Stationery Office. Available from:
https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21773/

3    United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (2023) Concluding observations  on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Ireland. CRC/C/IRL/CO/5-6. Geneva: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Available from:
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=2600&Lang=en

4    For further information on the indicator set, visit:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/03f4b-children-and-young-peoples-indicator-set/

5    Department of Health (2017) Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery: a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017–2025. Dublin: Department of Health. Available from:
https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27603/

Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Open Access, Article
Drug Type
All substances
Intervention Type
Policy
Issue Title
Issue 89, Autumn 2024
Date
October 2024
Page Range
pp. 14-16
Publisher
Health Research Board
Volume
Issue 89, Autumn 2024
EndNote

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