Child Law Project

The project was established in 2012, under the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007,{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2013 |title=About the Project |url=https://www.childlawproject.ie/about/ |publisher=Child Law Project}} with seeding provided by the One Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.{{Cite web |date=20 June 2023 |title=Child Law Project celebrates 10th anniversary |url=https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/child-law-project-celebrates-10th-anniversary |website=Irish Legal News}} Family law proceedings in the Republic of Ireland take place in camera,{{Cite web |last=English |first=Eoin |date=July 8, 2024 |title=Operation of in-camera rule in family law system to be examined |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41431588.html |website=Irish Examiner}} the project follows such cases in the Family Courts.{{Cite web |year=2024 |title=Application renewed and further adjourned to lift in camera rule to refer CFA Signs of Safety policy to Ombudsman for Children - 2024vol1#62 |url=https://www.childlawproject.ie/latest-volume/application-renewed-and-further-adjourned-to-lift-in-camera-rule-to-refer-cfa-signs-of-safety-policy-to-ombudsman-for-children-2024vol162/ |website=ChildLawProject.ie}} Board members include Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's Noeline Blackwell (chair), and former Chief Justice Frank Clarke,{{Cite web |date=20 June 2023 |title=Child Law Project celebrates 10th anniversary |url=https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/child-law-project-celebrates-10th-anniversary |website=IrishLegal.com}} Carol Coulter, an Irish Times journalist and adjunct professor of law at University of Galway,{{Cite press release |title=Dr Carol Coulter Appointed as Adjunct Professor in University of Galway's School of Law |date=February 2016 |publisher=University of Galway |url=https://www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2016/february2016/dr-carol-coulter-appointed-as-adjunct-professor-in-nui-galways-school-of-law.html |via=UniversityOfGalway.ie}} founded the project and is its executive director.{{Cite web |date=4 November 2024 |title=Child Law Project report examines three years of child protection cases |url=https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/child-law-project-report-examines-three-years-of-child-protection-cases |website=Irish Legal News}}

Reports from the project have been cited in academic journals such as the Journal of Social Work Education (Taylor & Francis),{{Cite journal |last=Mooney |first=Joseph |last2=McGregor |first2=Caroline |date=Fall 2022 |title=The Importance of Teaching Social Work as a Sociolegal Practice: An Irish Perspective |journal=Journal of Social Work Education |volume=58 |pages=747–758 |doi=10.1080/10437797.2021.1963893 |issn=1043-7797 |doi-access=free |number=4}} Social Work & Social Sciences Review (Whiting & Birch),{{Cite journal |last=Foreman |first=Maeve |last2=Ní Raghallaigh |first2=Muireann |year=2019 |title=Transitioning out of the asylum system in Ireland: Challenges and opportunities. |journal=Social Work & Social Sciences Review |volume=21 |pages=34–51 |doi=10.1921/swssr.v21i1.1365 |issn=0953-5225 |id={{EBSCOhost|143298229}} |number=1}} Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies (TU Dublin),{{Cite journal |last=O'Connor Funcheon |first=Susan |last2=Brady |first2=Eavan |year=2022 |title=An exploration of professional and practice-based perspectives on supporting birth parents towards reunification with their children. |url=https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijass/vol22/iss1/1/ |journal=Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=1–30 |issn=1393-7022 |id={{EBSCOhost|162250942}}}} Child Abuse Review (Wiley),{{Cite journal |last=Mooney |first=Joseph |year=2021 |title=How Adults Tell: A Study of Adults' Experiences of Disclosure to Child Protection Social Work Services |journal=Child Abuse Review |volume=30 |issue=3 (May/June 2021) |pages=193–209 |doi=10.1002/car.2677 |issn=0952-9136 |id={{EBSCOhost|150870157}}}} Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law (Taylor & Francis),{{Cite journal |last=O'Sullivan |first=Ella |date=Jun 2023 |title=The marginalisation of victims of domestic abuse under the Irish Domestic Violence Act 2018. |journal=Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=119–142 |doi=10.1080/09649069.2023.2206221 |issn=0964-9069 |doi-access=free}} Child & Family Social Work (Wiley){{Cite journal |last=McGregor |first=Caroline |last2=Devaney |first2=Carmel |date=May 2020 |title=Protective support and supportive protection for families "in the middle": Learning from the Irish context |url=https://researchrepository.universityofgalway.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/3aae4503-5e76-4be3-9a14-0ae3888ab913/content |journal=Child & Family Social Work |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=277–285 |doi=10.1111/cfs.12683 |issn=1356-7500 |via=UniversityOfGalway.ie |hdl-access=free |hdl=10379/15542}} and Family Court Review (Wiley).{{Cite journal |last=Healy |first=Connie |date=July 2021 |title=Reform within the Family Courts: Lessons from Baltimore |journal=Family Court Review |volume=59 |issue=3 |page=457 |doi=10.1111/fcre.12539 |issn=1531-2445 |id={{EBSCOhost|151471095}}}} In November 2024, Special Rapporteur-for Children, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said that a report from the project "shines a light" on the care system in need of reform.{{Cite web |last=Conneely |first=Ailbhe |date=4 November 2024 |title=Vulnerable children 'falling through the cracks' - report |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/1104/1478889-child-protection-report/ |website=RTÉ News}}

The body failed to secure a tender in 2024.{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Ann |date=July 9, 2024 |title=Government commits to fund reporting on court cases involving children in State care |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41432878.html |website=Irish Examiner}}{{Cite tweet |number=1845053787972518038 |user=MCompassMedia |title=O'Gorman stops funding for 10 year old Project ... |date=12 Oct 2024 |url=https://x.com/MCompassMedia/status/1845053787972518038}}{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Jack |date=12 October 2024 |title=Judge expresses 'grave disappointment' after care watchdog shelved |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/10/12/judge-expresses-grave-disappointment-after-care-watchdog-shelved/ |work=The Irish Times}} In October 2024, District Court President Paul Kelly expressed concern at the closure of the project, which had not sent reporters to proceedings since the middle of the year. Opposition politicians, Paul Murphy,{{Cite speech |last=Murphy |first=Paul |date=15 October 2024 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2024-10-15/18/#spk_209 |title=Child Protection: Statements – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil) – Tuesday, 15 Oct 2024 |authorlink=Paul Murphy (Irish politician) |website=Oireachtas.ie}} Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik,{{Cite speech |last=Bacik |first=Ivana |date=10 July 2024 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2024-07-10/9/#spk_97 |title=Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil) – Wednesday, 10 Jul 2024 |authorlink=Ivana Bacik |website=Oireachtas.ie}} and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín called for funding to be reinstated from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.{{Cite web |date=5 November 2024 |title="Damning Report from Child Law Project Should Prompt Political Action" - Tóibín |url=https://aontu.ie/damning-report-from-child-law-project-should-prompt-political-action-toibin |website=Aontú}}

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Category:Department of Children, Disability and Equality

Category:Research projects

Category:Law reform in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Child welfare in Ireland