Submission on Children First Bill 2012

Barnardos welcomes the opportunity to make a submission and presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on the Children First Bill 2012. Barnardos has been a long time advocate of placing Children First on a statutory basis and this legislative proposal is hugely welcome. Barnardos, which is celebrating 50 years of working with children and families, has projects based in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. All our staff and volunteers would agree that child protection is everyone’s responsibility and welcome that the welfare of the child is the overarching principle underpinning this Bill. The Children First Bill brings Ireland into closer compliance with children’s rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is to be welcomed for this. Article 3 of the UNCRC sets out the duty on States Parties to “ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.”

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