The Commissioner has expressed his disappointment at the notable lack of emphasis and consideration given to the needs and rights of children and young people within the newly published Programme for Government (PfG).
Chris Quinn, said: “I welcome the publication of the new Programme for Government, but I am disheartened by its insufficient emphasis on the needs and rights of children and young people, particularly regarding child poverty and strengthening of their legal protections.
“At NICCY, we strongly advised a specific outcome area dedicated to children and young people, as well as for mandatory child rights impact assessments for all legislation and policies but this has been overlooked.
“There is a pressing need for stronger legislative frameworks to safeguard children. The government must take more robust action to support vulnerable children and families, particularly those from disadvantaged groups. While the PfG mentions a review of children’s social care, it fails to address the fundamental structural changes required, such as the recommendation to establish a dedicated children’s Arm’s Length Body (ALB).
“Whilst there has been additional funding allocated to address health waiting lists, which is to be welcomed, I remain concerned that specific priorities related to children’s mental health and those waiting for lifechanging treatments and procedures have been largely overlooked.”
The Commissioner continued: “Evidence increasingly indicates that our babies, children and young people urgently need early intervention and support, particularly in areas like poverty, education, mental health, housing, youth justice, and social welfare.
“I am very interested in seeing how targets related to public sector reform can benefit those most in need – particularly when we consider steps that must be taken to reduce bureaucracy, ensure better planning, and focus on prevention. There needs to be a focus on how to achieve a much better use of public funds – instead of continuing to pour money into systems and structures that are broken.
“If we are serious about real change, we need to ensure child-focused and participatory budgeting, where the Executive is better equipped to allocate resources to meet need – particularly for those most disadvantaged.
“When children prosper, communities flourish. Children and young people should not be an afterthought; they must be at the forefront of our decision-making processes.”
