Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
772. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 144 of 29 March 2026, to provide an update on the outcome of her Department writing to all male Catholic religious congregation in Ireland seeking information on any members who are fathers; the responses received; and any follow up actions, or planned action(s); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32550/26]
View answerIreland's hearing before the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva in January 2023 set out significant detail on progress towards realising the rights of children and young people in Ireland. In response the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published its Concluding Observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of Ireland, setting out its recommendations for Ireland across a range of thematic areas, and across all of Government. Among these Concluding Observations, it recommended strengthening measures to eliminate discrimination against the children of Catholic priests.
As the Deputy will note from the previous response in March 2023, the Department raised this issue with the Irish Episcopal Conference and the Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care. At that time the Conference advised that the “Principles of responsibility regarding priests who father children while in ministry” produced by the Irish Episcopal Conference, stood as the guidance for any of their members who found himself in that situation. This continues to be the case. That guidance is available [here].
To review this matter fully and establish the scope of the number of children that might be impacted by this issue, in 2023 the Department contacted male catholic religious congregations in Ireland on this matter and it was subsequently concluded that this required no specific targeted measure to be developed. Notwithstanding this the Department continues to prioritise work on the elimination of discrimination and to strengthen implementation of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ratified by Ireland in 1992.
In November 2023 the Government published the Young Ireland Policy Framework recognising that children and young people may have specific difficulties accessing their rights. Significant work is underway across Government to address the issues facing children and young people. The Young Ireland Policy Framework:
• sets out current issues impacting children and young people identified by them, as demonstrated by the Children and Young People’s Indicator Set and as highlighted by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child;
• sets out a programme of work to create an enabling environment to ensure that children and young people are a central part of everyone’s agenda;
• announces spotlight programmes to focus on the most significant challenges for children and young people, with resources from across government;
• re-establishes governance structures where the State works with civil society partners to provide renewed leadership and impetus to realise existing policy commitments such as First 5, Ireland’s EU Child Guarantee National Action Plan, the newly announced Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office, and other major policy initiatives across Government impacting children and young people;
• identifies the priority areas requiring coordinated action across Government; and,
• identifies a number of complementary actions to address issues that were identified during the development of this framework.
