Report on child trafficking launched; Irish children’s rights referendum date announced

On 13 September, the Children’s Rights Alliance officially launched their report Safe Care for Trafficked Children in Ireland: Developing a Protective Environment as part of The Body Shop’s Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People Campaign. Click here to access the report. 

The report was carried out by University College Cork on behalf of the Children’s Rights Alliance and is based on interviews with various professionals in the areas of child welfare, care, education and advocacy as well as written feedback from the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Anti Human Trafficking Unit, the Irish Refugee Council, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Barnardos.

The report’s main findings were:

• Irish born children are among those trafficked within the country.
• Gaps in HSE policy and practice may have been exploited by traffickers.
• The HSE decision in 2010 to place separated migrant children in care, as opposed to hostel accommodation, helped reduce the number of these children going missing and the risk of them being trafficked.
• There are some concerns about the reunification of some children with their migrant families.
• The lack of training for professionals and carers outside Dublin hampered their ability to spot signs of trafficking.
• Ireland is one of just two EU states (along with the Czech Republic) falling behind in its efforts to stop child trafficking.

Tanya Ward of the Children’s Rights Alliance called for Ireland's ratification of the optional protocol to the UN Convention Treaty on the on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, stating that “it would bring Ireland into line with the rest of Europe and the world, and would sent a strong message that Ireland does not tolerate the sale of children, child prostitution or child pornography”.

Click here to read the Children’s Rights Alliance press release about the report.

Click here to read an Irish Times Article on the issue.

Click here to read an Irish examiner article on the issue.

Meanwhile, as the Bulletin went to press, it was announced that the Irish children’s rights referendum would be held on Saturday 10 November. Details about the wording of the referendum, and the text of the proposed constitutional amendment can be found here. A new campaign website was also launched - childrensreferendum.ie.