Last government accused of ‘broken promises’ to children

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The last government “failed to keep a number of promises to children”, according to an analysis of its term-long commitments.

The Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) has said the next Government must “do more for Ireland’s most marginalised children”, after its Report Card 2025 highlighted gaps left by the outgoing coalition.

The report card grades ministers on whether they delivered on commitments in the previous Programme for Government agreed by the coalition made up of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.

The CRA is publishing its analysis with the acknowledgement that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have re-entered into Government with independents, warning there are “no more excuses”.

While the report card recognises significant progress made in some key areas, the Alliance said that Government failed to keep a number of promises to children.

Tanya Ward, chief executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “There have undoubtedly been successes when we look at the progress of key commitments in the Programme for Government, particularly in the delivery of universal measures, but over the last five years we have also seen some broken promises leaving some groups of children behind.”

In particular, the report card finds the failure to carry through on a commitment to End Direct Provision reflects the “sharpest decline in performance overall” – giving the Government an E grade on the subject.

Ms Ward said: “We have seen the desire to improve prove conditions for children and young people completely stall.

“Government failed to keep its promise to end direct provision and worse still, the standards of accommodation have rapidly deteriorated.

Ms Ward acknowledged the backdrop of an unprecedented increase in the number of international protection applicants, but said 2024 saw a “deliberate shift away from own-door accommodation to more institutional settings”.

She added: “What is most concerning are the serious child protection issues that have arisen. In one case, four children went missing for 15 days when their parent was hospitalised. Staff were unaware of the children’s whereabouts during this time.”

Ms Ward also said the last government “inexplicably failed” to implement the International Protection Child Payment.

Elsewhere, the Government received its fourth consecutive “E” on child mental health issues, following an “unacceptable spike” in the number of children on waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) from 2,755 in 2020 to 3,830 in 2024.

Ms Ward said: “For children with special educational needs, their experience is being shaped by difficulties in accessing inclusive and appropriate education that meets their needs. The long-awaited Guidelines for Behaviours of Concern were published in the final weeks of the Government’s run.

“However, they do not fully address inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint practices which presents one of the most egregious threats to children’s rights.

She added: “We have heard of children being physically held against their will, being locked in rooms alone, even being dragged across the school floor.”

The last coalition received a D minus on family homelessness at the end of their term, with the CRA noting a “staggering 4,510 children” are accessing emergency accommodation.

It said: “While the delivery of supply hasn’t been sufficient, in 2024 there was an improvement in the number of families prevented from entering homeless services.”

At the other end of the table, one “A” grade and four “B” grades reflect positive progress made by Government.

The Government received an A plus for delivering beyond its commitment for free school books.

Elsewhere, the Government received four B grades in the areas of early childhood education and care, food poverty, and child safety.

However, on the latter heading, the CRA said the Online Safety Code is “disappointingly weak” as it currently gives online platforms far too much scope and discretion to design their own rules, leaving vulnerable children exposed to harmful and illegal content.

Ms Ward said: “It is simply not good enough that some commitments have not done well. Children and young people already on the fringes of society have been further marginalised by the lack of Government ambition.

“As many of the same political leaders return to their seat for the next five years – there are no more excuses.”