- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2022
Building a Child-Friendly Justice System in Ireland
The European Commission supported the Irish Government in creating a nationwide Barnahus model to improve the justice system for child abuse victims. With support from the European Commission, the project aimed to enhance coordination and effectiveness in handling such cases, leading to faster and more child-friendly outcomes.
Context
In 2015, Ireland successfully implemented the Children First Act, which introduced mandatory reporting for suspected cases of child abuse. It was followed by the development of a pilot Barnahus project in Galway in 2019, which became fully operational in January 2022. The goal of the European Union-Council of Europe project is to address the challenges encountered during the pilot project and to facilitate the opening of two additional centres: Barnahus South in Cork and Barnahus East in Dublin.
Support delivered
The project has delivered comprehensive support, including legislative analysis and interagency training, across three sites in Ireland (Galway, Cork, and Dublin). Led by national authorities and supported by the European Commission, these efforts aimed to create standardised protocols, improve coordination, and facilitate swift action on child abuse cases. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was leading the initiative with EU funding support.
Results achieved
The project established two operational Barnahus sites in Galway and Cork, assessing over 600 children since 2019. It implemented six key recommendations from legal and policy reviews, enhancing interagency collaboration and judicial processes. Training was delivered to 25 professionals, improving child-sensitive handling of cases. Through consultations with 33 young participants, the project enriched its approach. The expected impact includes a more responsive justice system for child victims, aligned with EU children's rights priorities. Completing Barnahus East in Dublin will further enhance nationwide support. These advancements promise improved outcomes for children and smoother interagency operations.
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: