Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Some of the previous contributors spoke about fisheries and the fact that fish do not know about borders. I absolutely agree. I worked for the Marine Institute many moons ago. I spent maybe a night and week at sea on research boats out of Northern Ireland and mainland England. I worked on collaborative projects. They were EU-funded and looked at our fisheries as a shared resource. It is incredibly sad that we are at this point and that such collaboration may no longer be possible or feasible.

Discussions on Brexit have maintained a sharp focus on what it will mean for particular sector of businesses, fisheries and cross-border travel. This is incredibly important. However, it has meant that the conversation has unfortunately strayed away from the impact Brexit could have on children's rights. The Children’s Rights Alliance raised these concerns as far back as 2017. At the time the alliance commissioned research into key areas of concern for children post-Brexit. Some of the concerns included child poverty, child protection, access to justice and health and education.

It is important to remember throughout the Brexit negotiations the fact that the protection of children's rights is based on the UK's adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights as well as the Good Friday Agreement. Unfortunately, the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill currently going through the UK Parliament undermines the protections guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. If that Bill delivers on those threats and passes, it will have serious repercussions for children north and south of the Border. In the last recession, children bore the brunt of the austerity measures North and South.

In Northern Ireland, a quarter of children lived in relative income poverty in 2014 and 2015. Recent figures from the CSO show that nearly 200,000 children are currently living in poverty in the Republic. If Northern Ireland and the Republic experience an economic downturn as a result of an economic shock post Brexit or if Covid-19 continues to affect our finances, which is obviously very likely, there is a threat that child poverty rates could increase. Furthermore, it is likely that Northern Ireland will not receive additional social inclusion moneys or PEACE funding from the European Union post Brexit, which have previously helped stave off high rates of child poverty. While the Good Friday Agreement does not specifically mention the issue of poverty, it contains a commitment from both Governments to protect economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to an adequate standard of living. This important right addresses issues of food poverty, housing and material deprivation. Child poverty north and south of the Border should be tackled as a human rights issue, whereby both Governments set out clear indicators and actions for reducing the number of children living in poverty now and post Brexit.

Child protection cases often rely on the co-operation that currently exists between the EU member states. This must be maintained after Brexit. EU mechanisms such as Eurojust and Europol-Frontex facilitate direct collaboration between member states, allowing for swift action against child abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking between EU countries. It is still uncertain, however, whether this high level of co-operation will continue post Brexit. We often forget the fact that children living in Border counties are particularly vulnerable to a post-Brexit landscape. Their ability to travel freely to their school on the other side of a post-Brexit border could curtail their rights to an education. In addition, they may have difficulties enrolling in schools on the other side of a border for various reasons, which could include hiked fees or financial costs. Approximately 400 pupils from Northern Ireland study in primary or post-primary schools in the Republic at the moment, which is nearly four times the number of students from the Republic who study in Northern Ireland. Changes in residency requirements, a physical border of any sort and the cost of education may impact upon existing educational arrangements for families in Border counties.

Also of particular concern are the healthcare rights of children in Northern Ireland and Ireland, which may be restricted post Brexit. Furthermore, the European health insurance card scheme may no longer apply to them. The UK may no longer be able to avail of EU resources, which could hamper research and development in the healthcare sector.

I urge the Minister to consider the points raised today and to maintain a channel of dialogue that is dedicated to children's rights issues as Brexit negotiations continue. Our most vulnerable are often the ones we forget about when discussions focus on the economy and the financial aspects of things, but they are the people we should be protecting the most. I will write to the Minister shortly to outline further these points and I look forward to corresponding with him on the matter.

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