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BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Ombudsman ‘utterly dismayed' by issues around children's needs
An ombudsman has said he is 'exasperated and utterly dismayed' at chronic issues around children's needs. Children's Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon called for the full and direct incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Irish law as he questioned whether ongoing scandals around child homelessness and scoliosis waiting lists would be as severe this year if they had been addressed earlier. Advertisement Dr Muldoon told the Oireachtas Children's Committee on Wednesday that direct incorporation of the convention is 'the most important thing' that can be done to protect and safeguard the rights of Irish children. He said Ireland had already committed to these rights, but there was a need to put 'real force' behind the international obligations. Dr Muldoon told the committee: 'It will put children's rights at the heart of every decision within the public and civil service, and give us a stronger basis to ensure we are keeping our promises to children. 'For example, imagine if five years ago the State had to come up with a child and family-focused home strategy. Advertisement 'Would there still be 4,775 children in emergency accommodation today?' He added: 'Or if our recommendations around scoliosis as a children's rights issue, as far back as 2017, was made against the backdrop of direct incorporation, would there be the same crisis as there is today?' Dr Muldoon said Ireland should be able to better funnel resources to where they are 'needed most', adding that societies are judged on how they treat their most vulnerable. He said: 'As ombudsman for children, I am exasperated and utterly dismayed at the persistent chronic issues around access to affordable housing for children and families, at the unacceptable delays in access to vital surgeries and assessments of need in a country as well-off as Ireland economically. Advertisement 'We are now at a crossroads in terms of what can be achieved for children, and in the current climate of political uncertainty and change, it's more important than ever for the State to bed down its commitments on children's rights.'
Malay Mail
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
DPM Fadillah calls for federal, state laws to align on clashing human rights, family issues
PUTRAJAYA, June 18 — Federal, state governments must harmonise laws to uphold human rights, says DPM Fadillah Federal and state governments must harmonise human rights-related laws — particularly those concerning family, marriage and children's rights — to better safeguard the welfare of the people, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. He highlighted ongoing legal dilemmas arising from Malaysia's dual legal system, in which British-influenced civil law coexists with Islamic family laws. 'Our dilemma in Malaysia stems from the country's historical legal framework because many of our practices are rooted in British laws, alongside the introduction of Islamic laws that emphasise family. 'This has caused conflicts between the laws themselves. So this is what we have to resolve prudently, otherwise it will cause political polemics due to the background of the people (who are multi-racial),' he said. Fadillah was speaking yesterday at the closing ceremony of the Muzakarah on Human Rights Issues from the Maqasid Shariah Perspective, held here. Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus. Fadillah emphasised the need for coordinated legal administration to resolve issues such as unregistered marriages conducted abroad, which he said have serious implications for the children born from such unions. 'If a marriage is not registered in Malaysia, it creates administrative problems. The child cannot be recognised as legitimate and cannot be registered with the National Registration Department. 'This not only affects the couple but also has serious implications for the child, as they lose entitlements under national policies and laws,' he said. He also drew attention to unresolved issues surrounding mixed marriages, such as eligibility for Malay reserve land ownership and the legal status of children under state laws — particularly in Sabah and Sarawak. 'For example, in a marriage between a Malay and a Chinese, questions arise over whether the couple qualifies for Malay reserve land, especially if the non-Malay spouse, even after converting to Islam, cannot speak the Malay language,' he said. Fadillah called for regular consultations and dialogue between federal and state governments to ensure policies are aligned and not in conflict with state administrations. He also linked human rights principles to the Malaysia Madani concept introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 'Under the Madani Government administration, human rights principles and Maqasid Shariah are interconnected to foster inclusive, just and ethical governance. Both serve as a guide to ensure balanced national development — spiritually, socially and economically. 'The initiatives taken by the Madani Government also demonstrate Malaysia's commitment to lead the human rights agenda domestically, regionally and internationally,' he added. — Bernama
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland needs to tackle ‘stark gap' between ‘rhetoric and reality' of children's rights, says child protection rapporteur
A specialist children's legal service could contribute to closing the 'stark gap' between the 'rhetoric and reality' of children's rights here, Ireland 's child protection rapporteur has said. Rights should be more than 'lofty principles on paper', they must be 'practical and effective', said Caoilfhoinn Gallagher . She was addressing an event in Dublin marking the publication of a new report by independent law centre Community Law & Mediation, which analysed the legal needs of children and young people and set out recommendations on how best to achieve those. Several State and non-State stakeholders, including the Ombudsman for Children's Office, Legal Aid Board and Children's Rights Alliance, were among those consulted for the report. READ MORE It particularly prioritised consultations with children and young people who had first-hand experience of legal issues. The difficulties they highlighted included school and family problems, bullying, discrimination, stigma based on 'being from a place that everyone thinks the worst of', mental health and having supports cut off after the age of 18 The report's key recommendation is for the establishment of a specialist children's legal service here with a particular focus on the practice and promotion of child-friendly justice. It recommends that priorities within the Child Poverty Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach and in the National Policy Framework Young Ireland should be reviewed to ensure commitments in relation to children's rights include an access to justice component. In her address, Ms Gallagher said former taoiseach Leo Varadkar had said he wanted Ireland to be the best country in Europe to be a child and the government's 2019 children and youth policy was aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people. That 'ambitious vision' is to be welcomed, she said, adding that she acknowledged and supported many key steps taken in recent years to improve systems, frameworks and outcomes for children. However, she said there remain 'significant and persistent and grave' concerns about child protection and the realisation of child rights in several areas. The aspiration to make Ireland the best place in the world to be a child was likely 'to ring hollow' for many, including the family of teenager Daniel McAnaspie, who was in the care of the State when he was stabbed to death in 2010. An inquest jury last month found he was unlawfully killed and his family have called for a State apology for systemic failures in his care. It was, she suspected, also likely to ring hollow for High Court judge John Jordan who presides weekly over the secure care list and recently described the continual failure of Tusla to provide enough beds for at risk children as 'an affront to the rule of law'. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child had in 2023 set out six areas where Ireland should take 'urgent' steps, including non-discrimination, violence against children and mental health, she noted. The CLM report is a 'vital' contribution to the important discussion about the gap between rhetoric and reality and how to close that gap, she said. Law professor and child rights expert Conor O'Mahony said litigation has limits and is not normally the place where people want to start when it comes to children's rights but it is 'sometimes the only way to get things done'. He said the 2012 'quite timid' children's rights amendment to the Constitution created a charter under which the courts might do 'interesting things' in relation to children's rights but the courts had 'not really embraced that licence' in the years since. Nothing in the Constitution states that the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary is more important than the rights of children but the courts have tended to prioritise the former over the latter, he said.
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
How Tuam, synonymous with a dark side of Irish history, can finally ‘do the right thing'
The laughter and shouts of children playing filled the air outside Trinity Primary School in Tuam, Co Galway , during break time on Monday morning. Further along the Dublin Road, just a short walk away, there is a very different playground. Under this site, it is believed that hundreds of children could be buried in a mass grave. Mother and baby homes now seem a world away but, not that long ago, they were to be found in towns across the country. In recent years, the name of Tuam has become synonymous with an Ireland of the past - a place which treated children born outside of marriage, and the women who gave birth to them, as problems that needed to be hidden. READ MORE They were often shipped off to live in mother and baby institutions , kept behind high walls. Out of sight and, largely, out of mind. 'They didn't matter in life, and they didn't matter in death,' local historian Catherine Corless said of past attitudes towards 'illegitimate' children. [ Catherine Corless: 'I was told more often than not that I was giving Tuam a bad name' Opens in new window ] Her research set off a chain of events which culminated in more 'walls' being built in Tuam this week but, this time, it is about 'doing the right thing', Ms Corless said. Access to the site of the town's former mother and baby home is being fenced off ahead of an excavation due to start in mid-July . The goal is to locate remains and, where possible, identify them so families can give their loved ones a dignified burial. It has taken a long time to get to this point. In May 2014, the Irish Daily Mail published research by Ms Corless which indicated that almost 800 babies and infants may be buried at the site. In the 11 years since, Ms Corless has become the name most associated with the site. Those years would prove she is a formidable force, but also as a naturally shy person, she initially found the level of public attention difficult. 'It was gruelling at times,' she said in Tuam on Monday. People would stop her in the supermarket and complain about what she was doing. 'I got that so many times, and it really upset me.' She was told she was 'giving Tuam a bad name' and 'tarnishing everyone' in the town. She said people would also stop her relatives and tell them 'she shouldn't be doing that, it's wrong, leave them there, it's terrible what she's doing'. While she has also received a lot of support, Ms Corless said the negative comments have not stopped. On Sunday, a man living in the US emailed her saying: 'You're about as credible as Santa Claus. You're a disgrace. I hope those nuns bring you to court.' From the beginning, she had known she was facing an uphill battle. 'My husband Aidan – he was very uneasy at the start because he said, 'You're taking on the State and you're taking on the [Catholic] Church, the biggest, the most powerful people in Ireland. And still, he backed me.' A truck delivers equipment to the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway, ahead of impending excavation works. Photograph: Andrew Downes/xposure Despite the setbacks, Ms Corless said the treatment of the babies and the lack of dignity in their burial was 'too horrific' for her to walk away. 'All those lovely little children and babies, that's the one thing that drove me. That's all that was in my mind – these babies are in a sewage system, they have to come out.' Siobhán Holliman, editor of the Tuam Herald newspaper, said some local people may have 'felt they were being blamed for something that they had nothing to do with', especially when international media descended on the town after the revelations were first published. However, most people are now 'supportive of what's going on', said Ms Holliman. 'Once people realised the extent of it, how many babies and infants died there, how many remains are up there – it's not a situation that can just be left. 'It's part of the town's history; you can't ignore history.' A test excavation in 2017 discovered a significant amount of human remains in what appeared to be a decommissioned sewage chamber. Ms Holliman said that while life has continued in the town since then, things felt somewhat 'on hold' while people waited for the full excavation to begin. The process is expected to take two years, but she hopes it will finally bring 'some closure for the relatives, the survivors, the town, and residents up there'. Most people in the street on Monday did not want to talk. Others said what happened at the institution was 'terrible' and they were happy the excavation work is finally set to begin. 'It's about time,' said one man, who did not wish to be named. 'The poor babies.'
National Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Amy Hamm: FBI completely justified in targeting 'gender-affirming' doctors
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking the public for tips on hospitals or practitioners who are performing 'gender-affirming' surgeries on minors. It's illegal, and it's mutilation, says the FBI. Article content Is the FBI fibbing about the law? To an extent. Article content The bureau's announcement follows President Donald Trump's Jan. 28 executive order, 'Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,' which attempted to ban childhood medical transition by defunding any federally supported institution that carries out these procedures. The order was challenged in court, in an ongoing case called PFLAG v. Trump, and an injunction prevents its implementation. Article content This hasn't stopped the FBI's assistant director for public affairs, Ben Williamson, from calling such surgeries illegal — even if they technically are not. On Monday, after Axios published an article about the bureau's interest in 'gender-affirming surgeries,' Williamson responded on X, 'Actually what we said was we would like tips on any hospitals or clinics who break the law and mutilate children under the guise of 'gender affirming care.'' Article content Article content The FBI made a similar post on X that same day: 'Help the FBI protect children. As the Attorney General has made clear, we will protect our children and hold accountable those who mutilate them under the guise of gender-affirming care. Report tips of any hospitals, clinics, or practitioners performing these surgical procedures on children at 1-800-CALL-FBI or Article content Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say the move is all for show, and is not based on current or enforceable laws, despite the fact that many states currently have laws banning pediatric gender transition. These critics certainly have a strong argument — but it is entirely beside the point. Article content Article content The FBI, with its callout for public tips, has taken an extrajudicial moral stance on the worst medical scandal of our time. It was an act of leadership and clarity. And it will be remembered as such in history books. Article content Article content The federal law enforcement agency's statement 'may only be intended to scare medical practitioners away from offering those services,' as per critics who spoke with CNN. That's a fair assessment. The FBI probably is doing just that — and it deserves commendation for it. Article content Swathes of persons within the American medical establishment are ignoring the overwhelming evidence on the harms of 'gender-affirming' care. It is therefore an act of moral valour for the FBI to intimidate physicians and health-care providers from participating in what is now increasingly recognized as an ongoing — though petering — medical scandal. Article content This is the stark reality: children, often gay or autistic — and with limited capacity to consent — are being permanently sterilized and physically altered by major surgeries and cross-sex hormones. Forget the cutesy euphemisms about 'top surgery' (double mastectomies) or 'puberty blocking' (possibly irreversible chemical castration). Forget the lie that this 'care' is a suicide-preventing intervention for youth who were 'born in the wrong body' — two false claims.
