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When You Say Nothing At All

Offaly Teenager Fighting For Children's Rights

Thursday, 3 August 2023 11:54

The 15-year-old was part of a panel that gave children a chance to say what they think should happen next.

An Offaly teenager has attended a national conference on children's rights.

15-year-old Ailís Mallone from Tullamore was one of over 100 people to attend the 'Pieces of Us – What’s Next?' event which is run by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office and attended by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Pieces of Us is a report which highlights the voices of the 5,515 children who took part in a national online survey and 200 who participated in focus groups.

It was presented to the UN Committee in 2022 by a Youth Advisory Panel and gives children a chance to have their say on what should happen next.

Ailís was a member of the OCO’s Youth Advisory Panel, which gets information from young people about how they feel about living in Ireland and the changes they want to see.

Speaking following the event, the Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon commented:

“We were delighted to have Ailís and the other members of our Youth Advisory Panel involved in this important children’s rights conference. They asked strong and challenging questions, particularly in relation to children’s mental health and how Ireland is ensuring that all children have equal opportunities.”

Dr Carmel Corrigan, OCO Head of Participation and Rights Education who led in coordinating the Pieces of Us report added:

“The Pieces of Us- What’s Next event was unique in that it gave a children’s perspective on the Concluding Observations of the UNCRC and the concerns that were raised. The children who worked on our Pieces of Us report were the heart and soul of the report- it was their voices and their insights, and so it’s important that they also have a say on what happens next.”

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