Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this initiative from the Ombudsman for Children. I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Niall Muldoon and his office for the professionalism and kindness they showed when I went to them for help recently for some young constituents in north Kildare. Their families, too, were delighted. They are so used to knocking on doors that do not budge that when one finally opens it is a great relief to them, especially when it opens with a welcome.

We need a better normal for children post Covid and I am anxious that all of us do all we can to help in this. In my constituency of Kildare North, there are children who have deep suffering post Covid, on top of their deep suffering before Covid. They cannot see a consultant for chronic pain or a psychologist or therapist for anxiety or depression. School places are an issue, especially for children with special needs. They cannot get their teeth attended to even though it hurts them to eat, and often they are cold because their parents cannot put on the heat. This winter is going to be particularly hard for them in view of the talk about energy prices and with climate change. It will be an issue we will have to tackle.

Many, too, cannot rely on having a home of their own. I do not know if the Minister managed to take a break of a few days this summer, but I recall going on holidays as a young child. One did not want the holiday to end, but going home to one's own house and getting into one's own bed that night was such a comfort. The fact that there are children in this State getting into a bed that is not their own or who do not know what bed they will get into is something we cannot excuse any more. Too many children are spending their childhood on waiting lists and housing lists. It is not yet Hallowe'en, but some homeless children are worried about whether Santa Claus will know where to find them.

Too often, children have been ignored when it comes to health, mental health, dental health, housing, caring, education and special education. It is no wonder the Office of the Ombudsman for Children is so busy. We need this better normal. As the documentation from the Ombudsman for Children states, and as has been stated in this debate, out of 40,000 children born, 8,000 left a maternity hospital to start their lives in poverty, that is, 20% of the children born in the State are born in poverty. It is just devastating for a First World state. We can be under no illusions about the scale of the work involved in this initiative, or the depth of the suffering. I believe there is great will in progressive parties to tackle the inequities, inequalities and the injustices damaging such young lives. We in Sinn Féin will play our part and do all we can to help.

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