This is the third and final report to be submitted by Professor O’Mahony, who was appointed as the Special Rapporteur in July 2019 for a term of three years. Overall, it is the 15th Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, and it relates to developments for the 12-month period from July 2021 to June 2022.
The main theme covered in the report is an examination of Tusla’s use of residential care, particularly private residential care, as a mode of alternative care. The report also contains a review of progress on issues raised and recommendations made in the previous reports submitted during Professor O’Mahony’s term and a reflection on the role.
The report also considers the findings of relevant reports of national and international bodies, as well as developments in international law, national court decisions and academic research published during the reporting period.
The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, who submitted the report to Government, said the report of the Special Rapporteur covers a wide range of policy areas and that relevant departments and agencies would now be reviewing the contents and recommendations set out within it.
He noted the particular focus on residential care in this year’s report and that his department and Tusla would consider these recommendations in detail, “I welcome this third annual report from Professor Conor O’Mahony in his role as Special Rapporteur. It is important that the analysis brought to bear in these expert reports informs our policy responses in the area of child protection and also our work to improve the lives of children and young people, across Government.”
All of the reports of the Special Rapporteur are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and are published on the website of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Download the full report here:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/06d19-special-rapporteur-on-child-protection-15th-report/
NB – This is a guide for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice, please contact any of the team at Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP, whose numbers can be found on our website www.nfg.ie, or email info@nfg.ie.
