Children's Rights - Whose Right? A Review of Child Policy Development in Ireland

Abstract

Children's Rights - Whose Right? A Review of Child Policy Development in Ireland reviews the position of children in contemporary Irish society and their emergence as a group in policy-making. The study finds that a reactive, welfare approach to child policy dominates. This approach perpetuates the view of the child as a passive dependent in need of protection rather than an active agent and bearer of rights. Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. The paper argues that this presents Irish policy-makers with a valuable organizational framework to foreground children's issues within a rights-based context. It presents recommendations for action in the area of governance with respect to children, the protection and promotion of children's rights and the participation of children in matters affecting them.