Children's Ombudsman reveals significant reduction in number of complaints from Limerick
THE number of complaints from Limerick received by the Ombudsman for Children last year was significantly down on the previous 12 months it has been revealed.
According to its annual report, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children’s Office received 48 complaints from Limerick during 2020 - representing around 4% of all complaints. This compares to 195 during 2019.
Commenting following the publication of the annual report, Dr Niall Muldoon said it's not possible to know where every single complaint comes from.
"Some complaints relate to more than one area, or there can be more than one child involved. However, we know for sure that 48 of our complaints came from County Limerick. While this is not very surprising, based on population spread, it shows that we still have to work hard to let people in Limerick know that we are here.”
Overall, 6% of the complaints made to the OCO last year came directly from children - an increase from 3% compared to 2019.
"This increase can largely be attributed to those who contacted us in relation to education issues and is an indication of the level of upset among students. 100% of the children who contacted the OCO mentioned the impact of the pandemic on their mental health of children," said Mr Muldoon
Once again, the main area of the public service people complained about in 2020 was education – making up 46% of complaints.
Other issues that arose during 2020 included remote learning and the digital divide, calculated grades. fears about bringing Covid-19 home and the lack of clarity about State exams.
Dr Muldoon says there can be no return to “normal” for children after the pandemic.
“2020 was a devastating year for children. We heard heart-breaking stories of children with additional needs regressing and about the turmoil the uncertainty caused. Children were grappling with the digital divide and they worried about parents who had lost their jobs as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy. We know that this impacted children in Limerick and all over the country."
Dr. Muldoon encouraged children, parents or those working with children in Limerick to contact the Ombudsman for Children’s Office if they have an issue they office might be able to resolve.
“The OCO offers a free, impartial service to anybody who thinks a child has been treated unfairly by a public body or Government funded organisation. We offer advice, help to resolve the issue as soon as possible and if necessary we will carry out an investigation. Visit oco.ie for information on how to contact the office or make a complaint.”