Neville represents Ireland in Geneva to discuss children’s rights

Fine Gael TD for Limerick and Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Dan Neville, was one of only two Irish delegates to join the Minister for Children, James Reilly for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Geneva.
“The passage of the Children’s Referendum is testament to this Government’s commitment to children’s rights and I was honoured to represent Ireland in Geneva at this important discussion.
“At the convention in Geneva a number of important issues relating to the rights of children were discussed.
“One issue of particular interest was access to mental health services  and early detection measures for children. Although we still need to ensure that children and adolescents are not treated in adult facilities, Minister Reilly outlined the significant work that has been done in this area. The Health Service Executive has put in place a service improvement initiative to target reducing waiting lists; 63 community teams are in place and additional in-patient beds are also now becoming operational. Work has also been done to improve access to psychological therapy at Primary Care level.
“Other issues addressed included how investigations involving public bodies are conducted in member states and we also discussed how the Government deals with the negative impact of austerity on the implementation of the Convention, including for children of migrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. In Ireland we have committed to child income support measures at 33-35% of the minimum adult welfare rate. In 2015, this was €62.80 weekly.
“It was outlined how Ireland has legislated to deal with discrimination against ethnic minority children. Minister Reilly also outlined the inclusive education system in the State.
“The Convention also discussed sexual exploitation of children; violence against children; early education for children with disabilities and many other vital issues.

“The Geneva Convention is an important opportunity for member states to come together to discuss children and to ensure that everything is being done to ensure we are meeting our commitments and obligations.

“Investing in services for children and planning for the care of children in the future is something that this Government is determined to do. By keeping the recovery going and creating jobs, more money will be available to invest in services and to improve the lives of many.”