The review will aim to ensure that the views of children are central to any decisions affecting their home life

The Minister for Children has announced a full review of the Child Care Act, to better protect children in crisis situations.

Katherine Zappone said the review will focus on ensuring that the views of children are central to any decisions which impact on their family and home life.

It will also aim to ensure that children who are being taken into care should have the support of a ‘Guardian ad Litem’ GAL who looks after their interests in court proceedings.

Key moment

Announcing the review, Minister Zappone said Ireland is “at a key moment” in terms of our efforts to protect the most vulnerable children in our society.

“It is a quarter of a century since the introduction of the Child Care Act,” she said. “It is now time to revisit our laws, regulations and policies to examine where we can do better for our children.”

The review will aim to ensure that the voice of the child is “placed absolutely central to any decisions which are taken.”

Minister Zappone said the review will also aim to “end the adversarial nature” of child care proceedings in an effort to make rebuilding family and home life easier on children.

“We need the relationship between social work teams and families to be based on trust and respect – allowing a mediated approach rather than courtroom battles,” she said.

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