IRELAND:The Unicef study on child wellbeing in wealthy countries, which ranks Ireland 12th out of 21 countries, should "put it up to all of us to think about what kind of society we want for all our children", a leading children's rights organisation has said.
Paul Gilligan, chief executive of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), said the report did not surprise him, and he hoped it would be a "wake-up call" for political and public opinion.
"There is still a complacency in Irish society that life for children here is wonderful - that there is no poverty, that our education system is superb, that all children have excellent healthcare, that none suffer bullying or bad family relationships."
He said a lot had been achieved for children in the past few years in terms of decreases in absolute poverty, child protection measures and investment in education. "But when you compare where we are in an international report, this reminds us we are still playing 'catch-up', and this report, I hope, will be a wake-up call," he said.
"There is a lot of complacency. We can criticise the Government for not doing enough to invest in better education and health services for all, but we get the policies we vote for, and not one party is talking about increasing taxes to pay for these things.
"People are prepared to pay for private education and healthcare for their own children, but not to pay higher taxes to ensure they are available for all children."
Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay also said the report did not surprise him. "I am very concerned about the fact that in countries that are poorer than Ireland, children seem to be better off."
He said there was a growing disparity here between children who were living comfortably and those living in consistent poverty, ie those living below the poverty line and experiencing key deprivations such as not having a hot meal every day or a second pair of shoes.
"In the last two budgets the Government has undoubtedly taken steps to address child poverty but, as this report shows, one cannot act solely through income increases."
He said there was a need for greater investment in education, health and family supports.
"Irish kids might be growing up in a wealthier society but increasingly they are also growing up in a value-free society, which means essentially they are growing up alone, under more pressure."
He said he hoped the report would contribute to a "growing awareness and debate about some of the things we, and our children, are losing".
Audrey Deane, policy officer with the Society of St Vincent de Paul, said the report highlighted the "huge social gradients with regard to access to decent education and healthcare", adding that there must be a "long-term, holistic approach to quality of life for children".
