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Saturday 25 March 2023 Dublin: 7°C

# Children

All time
# Infertility
€2 million in funding for IVF and fertility treatment set to be announced by government
One course of IVF treatment can cost between €4,000 and €4,500.
# Housing
Varadkar says councils should help pay for property inspectors instead of 'investing in white-water rafting'
St Vincent De Paul has called for more support from the government to retrofit homes.
# Vaccines
Number of mumps cases in 2019 four times higher than last year
The HSE said has said the increase in numbers is linked to the spread of misinformation about vaccines on social media.
# National Review Panel
Teenage girl was on mental health waiting list for three months before suicide
Niamh’s case is among three child deaths examined by the National Review Panel.
# cost overruns
Some contractor claims for new children's hospital not under board's control, committee to hear
The fact some measures of the project remain uncosted is ‘laughable’ says Labour’s Alan Kelly.
# experiments
Professor Luke O'Neill on how to get your children interested in science (plus: two experiments to try at home)
The Irish professor of biochemistry has written a new book aimed at children, which is nominated for an An Post Irish Book Award.
# Your Say
Poll: Should there be a ban on selling sweets beside shop checkouts?
The Irish Heart Foundation has launched a plan to cut childhood obesity rates by half in the next decade.
# tusla
Chair of Tusla says 'journey of reform' lies ahead with further improvements needed 'on a daily basis'
The former Labour Party leader was addressing foster carers at a conference this morning.
Voices
Opinion: Single parents will be forced onto social welfare if childcare costs are not addressed
The new National Childcare Scheme could see lone parents losing out on subsidies.
# new parents
Paid maternity and paternity leave to be extended by two weeks
New legislation will provide for extra paid leave for each parent of a child who is born, or adopted, from 1 November 2019.
Voices
Opinion: The mental health of our children should be the focus of Budget 2020, not Brexit
A bereaved mother says no child deserves to die because of poorly-resourced mental health services.
# vaping
Harris hits out at politicians trying to get him to meet vaping company reps
The minister said tobacco companies are ‘despicable’ for targeting children with e-cigarettes.
# Garda crime unit
An increasing number of children are sharing nude or sexually explicit photos on social media
The committee was told about a girl wanted to take her own life after an ex-boyfriend shared images of her without her permission.
# budget 2020
Behind-the-scenes pressure on minister to raise inheritance tax threshold in the Budget
A tax-free threshold on transfers between parents and their children currently stands at €320,000.
# early learning
The most expensive childcare is in Dublin, the cheapest is in Carlow
The average cost of full-time childcare in Ireland is €184 per week.
# Childcare
'We're seen as glorified babysitters': Survey finds 94% of childcare workers can't make ends meet
More than half of people working in the sector are actively looking for another job.
# miles for smiles
Group of bikers ride across Ireland donating equipment to neonatal units
The group has raised €55,000 to purchase equipment to donate and to sponsor a new room at Ronald McDonald House in Dublin.
# Cyber Safety
Survey reveals more than 40% of children are talking to strangers online
Children in schools in disadvantaged areas were 29% more likely to talk to strangers every day.
# foreign objects
Children who swallowed foreign objects accounted for over 2,000 hospital attendances since 2015
These figures were released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act.
# Your Say
Poll: Should voluntary contributions to schools be scrapped?
Parents can be asked to pay between €60 to €115.
# Cork
'They are really inspiring - they don't let the fact they are living in that situation hold them back'
We spoke to volunteers who run dance classes for teens in Direct Provision, DJ Stevie Grainger and dancer Andrea Williams.
# Back To School
Parents say they're avoiding paying bills to deal with the cost of sending their children to school
That’s according to the Barnardos School Costs Survey, published today.
# Education
Concern hundreds of children with autism could be without school places in September
Last month the Department of Education served statutory notices on 18 schools and two patrol bodies in the Dublin 15 area urging them to make additional provision.
# Under fire
'Our trust has been betrayed': Hyde and Seek parents speak out after RTÉ Investigates programme
Meanwhile, Hyde and Seek it had taken steps to deal with “urgent issues” highlighted in the RTÉ programme last night.
# Hyde and Seek
Tusla releases advice for parents as Zappone 'appalled' at treatment of children in creches
Children were filmed being roughly handled in the footage recorded by RTÉ Investigates, and concerns were raised about fire safety and other issues.
# paediatrician
Over 47,000 children waiting to see a specialist due to consultants shortage
Of that number, 1,989 children in Ireland are waiting to see a paediatric surgeon.
# Mental Health
So far this year, 32 children have had to stay in adult mental health units and it's going to continue to happen
HSE said placing children in adult units will ‘continue to be necessary’.
# nutrition
WHO warns commercial baby foods contain too much sugar
In around half of products examined, more than 30% of the calories in them were from total sugars.
# justice department
Deportation orders were issued for 92 children last year
385 children have been issued with deportation orders over the past five years.
# Your Say
Poll: Should it be compulsory for Irish teens to spend a year helping others?
Could a State-run programme like this work in Ireland?
# Border
Trump says migrant detention centres will be opened up to visits by journalists
His comments come after reports over the weekend described one centre in Texas as filled with hundreds of children wearing filthy clothes.
# tusla
More than 6,000 physical abuse referrals to child and family agency last year
The most common form of abuse in cases referred to Tusla was emotional abuse.
# Anonymity
Explainer: Why the boys found guilty of Ana Kriegel's murder cannot be named
Despite the fact that the two boys have been convicted, they still cannot be publicly named even after sentencing.
# Childcare
Zappone announces funding for 3,600 new childcare places
Funding will be made available to childcare centres, crèches and other childcare facilities.
# Mental Health
No chairs, beds or blankets in seclusion rooms at UK facility where Irish teens are treated
The facility faces closure if improvements are not made within six months.
# immunisation
Virus which is the most common causes of gastroenteritis in children drops by 72% since vaccine rollout
Rotavirus disease is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children.
# systemic failures
Taoiseach will act upon report which lists catalogue of failures into HSE and Tusla handling of foster home abuse case
The children involved were left with a foster family for several years despite abuse claims.
Voices
Opinion: 'Children need to learn about LGBT issues in school - it will reassure them and combat fear'
Robin Stevens grew up in a generation were ‘gayness was erased’. Her books have shown her that young readers want to read about LGBTQ+ lives – and she wants to see more of this explored in schools.
# Child Protection
Irish government to consider similar legislation to UK 'porn block' law
From July pornography sites will be required to have robust age-verification systems in place for UK users.
# mother-and-baby homes
Bessborough nun claims she doesn't remember any child deaths - there were 31 during her time there
The commission said the affidavit from the congregation that ran the mother and baby home was “speculative, inaccurate and misleading”.