The Children's Rights Alliance, a coalition of 80 non-governmentalorganisations, gave the Irish Government only an overall D grade in a'report card' it published today.
The report said the government had failed to recognise the value ofearly intervention and preventive measures in education and said that anearly childhood care and education programme for disadvantaged children,which has been put on hold, should be rolled out without delay. It alsocriticised initiatives aimed at boosting the number of childcare placesto 100,000 by 2016 for failing to ensure the sustainability and qualityof services.
The report called Ireland's international position on child poverty'shameful', with the country ranking 21 out of the 27 EU countries.
The research, Report Card 2009, is available at the websitewww.childrensrights.ie.
It said the Government must commit to 'real, joined up thinking andaction, and that the Department of Education and Science should workwith the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to ensurethe provision of quality early childhood services'.
