The European Commission has introduced a new EU Kids Act, creating a common EU approach to children’s online safety. The proposal covers social media, video sharing platforms, online gaming and AI powered services used by children and young people.
Barnardos children’s charity welcomes the comments made by the Taoiseach last week that child poverty will be a key priority for Budget 2027. The statistics published today by the ESRI demonstrate that too many children are living in poverty and that measures, focused on the lowest income families, need to be introduced in Budget 27 in order to make progress towards the Government’s targets.
Download the report Key findings:School Avoidance: More than one fifth (21%) of primary and one third (33%) of secondary school parents said their children were refusing or avoiding going to school at least once a month.Absenteeism: Almost half (46%) of parents said their children missed school for non-health/medical reasons last year once or twice, with
Heinz and Barnardos research highlights how mealtimes and relationships across generations help children feel connected and supported.
Heinz and Barnardos research highlights how mealtimes and relationships across generations help children feel connected and supported.
Barnardos has today launched its Back to School Survey 2026. Results continue to show that parents are concerned about meeting costs this year with primary school parents particularly worried about the cost of uniforms and many secondary school parents concerned about how to meet the cost of digital devices.
Barnardos is raising concern as the publication of the long overdue Housing Action Plan has been delayed until September and a further increase in the monthly homelessness figures is to be expected when published this Friday. The number of children in Ireland living in emergency accommodation during the summer holidays is deeply concerning, damaging childhoods and distressing parents across the country.
Barnardos today launched their Cost of Living – Impact on Children 2026 report. For five years Barnardos has monitored the impact of cost of living increases on families and raised the issue, urging the Government to set up targeted actions to protect families and reduce child poverty.
Last year Barnardos children’s charity supported more than 1,000 children across its targeted family support services who had experienced living with a parent with poor mental health. Barnardos today published a report focusing on the impact poor parental mental health has on children in Ireland, the prevalence across the country and actions that could be taken to reduce the resulting childhood trauma and harm.
In response to RTE Primetime Investigates programme – Inside the Care System – Barnardos children’s charity is calling on the Government, the Department of Children Disability & Equality and Tusla to put forward an action-oriented plan with clear timelines that sets out exactly how and when the use of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) will end. The children’s charity has long said that the alternative care system is in crisis with a national shortage of foster and residential placements for babies, children and young people.