Network Submission to Government Policy Framework for Children and Young People in Ireland

by | Feb 28, 2022 | News | 0 comments

The Action for Children and Families of Prisoners Network (‘the Network’) made a brief submission to the Public Consultation on the next Government Policy Framework for Children and Young People in Ireland. The submission specifically focuses on children and young people with a family member in prison in Ireland.

In the submission, the Network addresses four of the key questions raised in the consultation (questions 7, 8, 11 & 12) with the view to highlighting the rights and needs of children and young people with a family member in prison in Ireland. Throughout the submission, reference is made to the recommendations made in IPRT’s 2020 report Piecing it Together: Supporting Children and Families with Family Member in Prison in Ireland (‘PiT Report’).

In response to question 12, which asked “What top five priorities should the new policy framework focus on, to improve the lives of children and young people by 2028?”, the submission highlights 5 top priorities:

  1. Any future policy framework on children and young people should be guided in full by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and highlight the need for ratification of these rights into Irish law (recommendation 1.2 – PiT Report).
  2. Any future policy framework for children and young people in Ireland should continue to highlight the distinct adversities and needs of children with a family member in prison in Ireland, and this should be beyond the limited context of prison visits (recommendation 6.1 – PiT Report).
  3. Any future policy framework for children and young people in Ireland should commit to funding and commissioning detailed, longitudinal research on children with a parent in prison in Ireland (recommendation 5.1 – Pit Report).
  4. Any future policy framework for children and young people in Ireland should commit to establishing an inter-departmental working group to pro-actively review existing policies, and develop new policies, which will reduce harm to, and provide support for, children and families (recommendation 2.1 – PiT Report).
  5. Any future policy framework for children and young people in Ireland should commit to developing a national support service providing information and support to children and families with a family member in prison (recommendation 2.2 – PiT Report).

Read the submission in full here.