Why does Child Talks matter? Host Mark Langtry chats to Dr Niall Muldoon on why giving young people a national platform to speak is so important and how their voices help shape change. #ChildTalks2025 #worldchildrensday #OCOIreland

#Teachers 📣 Register your class to watch Child Talks 2025 live from your classroom. Hear powerful stories from young people about the issues that matter to them. 🔗 Register: eventbrite.com/e/child-talk...

A highlight from the Psychological Society of Ireland Conference was Dr Niall Muldoon hearing the always inspiring Dr Mary McAleese speak and meeting her and her husband, Martin. #PSIConf25

Dr Niall Muldoon was glad to join the Irish Primary Principals Network in Killarney to mark their 25th anniversary. Congratulations to Páiric Clerkin, Deirdre Kelly and the whole #IPPN team on a great event, and on 25 years of leadership in Irish education. #ippn25 #primaryeducation

Teachers 📣 Register your class to watch Child Talks 2025 live from your classroom. Hear powerful stories from young people about the issues that matter to them. 🔗 Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/child-talk...

The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, has issued a statement on the Government’s new housing plan and its impact on children at risk of homelessness. Read his full statement in the comments.

Great to be part of the recent #GAA Youth Forum at Croke Park. The GAA continues to empower young people on and off the pitch, and the OCO fully supports their work in making sure children’s voices are heard, respected and valued.

Today we’re in Sligo for the launch of The Keeper of Rights, a book made by children, for children about the Ombudsman for Children and why rights matter. Proud day for the young authors behind this project. 📚 Order your free copy! Contact: [email protected]

Ombudsman for Children statement on IPAS centre arson attack: www.oco.ie/news/ombudsm...

🌟Great visit to Roscommon Community College to meet Miss Kerrane’s 1st Year students - our new OCO School Ambassadors for 2025–2026! 📚 We’re excited to have our first secondary school helping to promote children’s rights and children’s voices.

The vital #UNCRC Incorporation event is UNDERWAY at @IMMAIreland! . Powerful voices driving the change: · OCO Youth Advisory Panel · Dr. Niall Muldoon · Youth Activist Cara Darmondy · Expert Guest Speakers A crucial day for #ChildrensRights in Irish law. #OCOIreland

Exciting day ahead at the Irish Museum of Modern for a crucial event focused on the Incorporation of UNCRC into Irish law. This work is essential for securing stronger rights for children in Ireland. Follow along! 📢 #UNCRC #ChildrensRights #OCOIreland

Welcome to Miss Bellew’s 6th class at Bracken Educate Together NS, Balbriggan, our newest OCO School Ambassadors 🙌 Great conversations with students like Noah and Ella about children’s rights and making sure every voice is heard. Read more at OCO.ie

📢 We’re Hiring – Digital Assistant (EO) The Ombudsman for Children’s Office is looking for a Digital Assistant to join our Communications team. 🗓 Closing date: 12 noon, 30 October 2025 👉 Learn more and apply at ocoJobs.com

We’re delighted to welcome Roscommon Community College as one of our new OCO School Ambassadors for 2025/26 – and our first secondary school to take on the role! 👏 They’ll be helping to promote children’s rights in their school and community. 🔗 Learn more: OCO.ie

🎉 Delighted to welcome Bracken Educate Together, Balbriggan as one of our new OCO School Ambassadors for 2025/26! They’ll help spread awareness of children’s rights in their school and community. 🔗 Learn more: OCO.ie

📺 The OCO worked with @cnam-ie.bsky.social and #IFCO on new research exploring how adults and children view harmful and offensive content across media. Understanding young people’s perspectives is vital to shaping safer digital spaces. 🔗 Read more at OCO.ie

Positive to see plans to put the National Review Panel on a statutory footing. But the promised Child Death Review Mechanism remains urgently needed to deliver answers and accountability for grieving families. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

📺 The OCO worked with ‪@cnam-ie.bsky.social‬ and #IFCO on new research exploring how young people and children view harmful and offensive content across media. Understanding young people’s perspectives is vital to shaping safer digital spaces. 🔗 Read more at oco.ie

Ireland’s new International Protection Bill could leave migrant children more vulnerable than ever. At last week’s Justice Committee, the OCO urged stronger safeguards for children’s rights. 🎥 Watch our submission explainer 🔗 Learn more at OCO.ie

Audience Perspectives on Harmful and Offensive Media Content is research conducted by @cnam-ie.bsky.social, IFCO, with the Ombudsman for Children’s Office designing and facilitating the focus groups for children. Read the OCO’s Youth Friendly report below: www.oco.ie/library/audi...

⚖️ Dr. Niall Muldoon spoke at the 11th Annual Conference of the Irish Criminal Justice Agencies on 25 Years of the Children Act. He called for full incorporation of the UNCRC into Irish law - to make our justice system truly child-centred.

🎉 Great visit to Miss Whyte’s 6th Class at Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire, Ardee, Co. Louth - our new OCO School Ambassadors! ✨ They’ll be helping to promote children’s rights in their school and community. 🔗 Learn more at OCO.ie

This week, Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon joined Tusla to launch the Children First Governance Framework, sharing his perspective on putting children’s rights at the heart of its implementation. #ChildrenFirst #OCOIreland #ChildrensRights

Dr. Tricia Keilthy & Nuala Ward from the OCO appeared before the Justice Committee on the International Protection Bill 2025, calling for stronger safeguards for migrant children - including a ban on detention. ▶️Watch live at oireachtas.ie

💛 To mark the end of #KinshipCareWeek, we’re sharing Jack’s story. When he began caring for his granddaughter Julie to keep her out of state care, he contacted the OCO to find out what supports were available. 🎥 Watch their story below. #KinshipCareCounts

🧠 #WorldMentalHealthDay Too many children are still waiting for mental health support. In 2024, 2% of OCO complaints were about access to services. Every child deserves help when they need it 💙 👉 OCO.ie

📢 We’re hiring a Digital Assistant (EO) to join our Communications team! Work on digital design, content creation & online communications promoting children’s rights. 🗓 Closes 12 noon, 30 Oct 2025 👉 Apply: ocoJobs.com #Hiring #DigitalJobs #OmbudsmanForChildren

Budget 2026 is the first of the new Government. So, what does it tell us about their commitments to children? We take a look at some of the big-ticket items affecting children and their rights. Head to our website below to read more: www.oco.ie/news/budget-...

🌍 No matter where you’re from, your rights travel with you. Children’s rights don’t stop at borders. Every child deserves safety, equality, and respect. 👉 Learn more at OCO.ie

📢 We’re hiring! The OCO is recruiting a Senior P&RE Officer – Consultation Lead (HEO) to support our work promoting children’s rights & welfare. 👉 Apply now: ocojobs.com

Brilliant to have our friends from @ocoireland.bsky.social in Belfast 🙌 Top of our agenda was our shared goal of incorporating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law. This is the single-most important thing we can do for children and young people 💙🩷🧡💚❤️

🤝 Today we met with colleagues from @nichildcom.bsky.social to share ideas, strengthen ties and discuss our shared goal of incorporating the UNCRC into Irish law. 👉 Learn more: OCO.ie

🎲 Play isn’t just fun - it’s your right. Every child has the right to rest, relax and play. It’s how you grow, learn, and enjoy your childhood. 👉 Want to know more about your rights? Head to OCO.ie

🎥 Dr Niall Muldoon recaps the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children annual conference in Bucharest. Theme: children’s right to physical health, which ranged from healthy food in schools to period dignity. Watch below ⬇️ Learn more about children’s rights 👉 OCO.ie

📢 Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon is calling for reforms to youth justice: ✔ Extend youth justice sanctions to under-24s ✔ Raise criminal responsibility age to 14 ✔ Explore separate facilities for 18–24s Read more via @irishexaminer.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtan...

🗣️ You have the right to be heard - your voice matters. Every child deserves a say in decisions that affect their lives. 👉 Learn more at oco.ie

Yesterday Dr Niall Muldoon spoke at Children's Rights Alliance #EndChildPovertyWeek alongside Kate Duggan CEO of Tusla, Lara Haynes, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, along with Dr Maria Corbett & Suzanne Connolly @barnardos-ireland.bsky.social

LISTEN BACK on @newstalkfm.bsky.social Fionn McWeeney from the OCO Youth Advisory Panel spoke to Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder about school phone bans and his contribution to our report One Size Does Not Fit All. www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...

📻 LISTEN BACK: Ban on phone use does not protect children Drivetime nterview on @rteradio1.bsky.social with the OCO’s Head of Policy Dr Tricia Keilthy about our new report into why blanket bans on mobile phones in schools are not in the best interest of children. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

📱 Members of our Youth Advisory Panel share their concerns in this new video, from how bans affect their rights, to why students must be part of the decision-making process. 🎥 Watch their views below and read our full report One Size Does Not Fit All now at www.oco.ie

📱 Phone bans in schools affect young people’s rights. Our Youth Advisory Panel created this animated video to share their perspective and why their voices matter. 🎥 Watch below and read our new report One Size Does Not Fit All at oco.ie

📖 What do young people really think about school phone bans? Our Youth Advisory Panel shared their views on how bans affect children’s rights and why students must be part of the conversation. Read the full report One Size Does Not Fit All at oco.ie

The OCO is very concerned by the latest ESRI report on child poverty which shows that one in five children in Ireland live below the poverty line. The Ombudsman for Children has written to the Minister for Finance asking him to prioritise measures to tackle child homelessness and poverty.

📢 Teachers! We’re looking for two 6th classes + one 1st Year CSPE class to join our 2025/26 School Ambassador Programme. Help us spread the word about children’s rights in classrooms and online. 👉 Learn more: www.oco.ie/childrens-ri...

📢 Join us THIS WEDNESDAY for the launch of our new report One Size Does Not Fit All. This report looks at how school phone bans impact children’s rights, with insights from the OCO Youth Advisory Panel. 🗓 Wed, 10 Sept | 🕙 10am 🎟️ Register via the link in comments 👇

📻 LISTEN BACK This morning on Newstalk Breakfast Dr. Niall Muldoon criticised the State’s response to missing feared dead. www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...

“I am extremely concerned that the major response to the disappearance and possible death of this little boy in North Dublin, is a referral to the National Review Panel. This is a structure that has no statutory power and no independent authority to publish reports." www.oco.ie/news/stateme...

A child's right to learn, grow, and thrive is a fundamental human right. The Ombudsman for Children's Office is dedicated to protecting this right so that every child in Ireland has the support necessary to reach their full potential. Learn more at OCO.ie

📢 Join us for the launch of our new report One Size Does Not Fit All. This report looks at how school phone bans impact children’s rights, with insights from the OCO Youth Advisory Panel. 🗓 Wed, 10 Sept | 🕙 10am 🎟️ Register via the link in comments 👇