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Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has today launched UNICEF’s global ‘Report Card 11’ on child well-being, marking the first time that this global launch has been held in Ireland.

The report finds that Ireland is the 10th best place in the world to be a child.

Launching the report Minister Fitzgerald said:

I’m delighted to join with UNICEF today in launching this considerable piece of global research. I am also very happy with the finding that Ireland is now recognised as one of the top 10 best places in the world to be a child.

I welcome, in particular, the findings relating to Ireland having the highest rate of children exercising daily in the industrialised world significant decline in children smoking and more modest declines in drinking and teenage pregnancies.

The Minister said that these international finding on smoking, drink and teenage pregnancies reinforce the trends highlighted in recent Irish findings published in the ‘State of the Nation’s Children’ Report which was launched last month.

However the Minister expressed concern that Ireland had one of the highest proportions of 15-19 year olds not in education, employment or training – the so-called NEET’s cohort.

The Minister stated that:

There is growing recognition across Europe of the potential of youth work services to contribute to activation measures and to enhance employability for young people, in particular with the those not engaged in education, employment or training.

The launch today took place in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham where Minister Fitzgerald will today host a high-level EU roundtable discussion child well-being. The roundtable is being held in Ireland to mark the current EU Presidency and is being sponsored by the Department of Children and Youth.

Read the full press release

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