Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 May 2024

Committee on Public Petitions

Ombudsman for Children's Annual Report 2022: Office of the Ombudsman for Children

Dr. Niall Muldoon:

I think it will be huge. Again, I have tried to keep in regular contact with Coimisiún na Meán. It has been working on learning from us as well as to how to deal with children and young people. It has not got that expertise yet. It is working to build it up. Once it comes into being, however, it will be very important. As the Senator has heard from our work, it is hearing the voices on the ground where people have been impacted. That is what makes it much harder to deny the negative impact on our children. If we are doing a systemic thing, it is one thing, but if we can hear from individuals, we get much more of a nuance of where the gaps are. To not have that would be a huge breach of children's rights and individual rights because, obviously, it will work for adults as well. From the point of view of children, obviously, being the most vulnerable, it is important that we get that system up and running as soon as we possibly can.

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