Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, and Ombudsman Peter Tyndall have both welcomed the Minister for Justice and Equality’s commitment in principle to allowing asylum seekers living in Direct Provision have their complaints independently examined by their respective Offices.

The commitment, which is subject to legal advice from the Attorney General, would implement the recommendations of a 2015 Working Group report: ‘Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers’.  Among the recommendations made by the Working Group, which was chaired by Dr Bryan McMahon, are that the remits of the Ombudsman and of the Ombudsman for Children should be extended to include complaints relating to:

• services provided to residents of Direct Provision centres, and
• transfer decisions following a breach of the House Rules.

The Working Group also recommended that “recourse to the two Offices should be available to a complainant who is dissatisfied with the final outcome of the RIA complaints procedure”. (Working Group Report, 4.135)

Peter Tyndall (Ombudsman) said:

“This represents a major step forward in bringing independent oversight to this area. We are delighted that the Minister for Justice and Equality has agreed in principle to make arrangements for those in direct provision accommodation to have access to our Offices.  We would like to thank the Minister and her Department’s officials for their support and look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Department in putting suitable arrangements in place”.

Dr Niall Muldoon (Ombudsman for Children) said:

“Today, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its concluding observations on Ireland’s progress in recent years towards implementing its obligations to children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among the issues that the Committee has voiced concerns about is the situation of children living in Direct Provision centres. The Committee’s corresponding recommendations in this regard include that the State should consider amending the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 so that my Office can investigate ‘complaints from children in a refugee, asylum-seeking and/or irregular migration situation’.”

“Taking into account the UN Committee’s recommendation, I warmly welcome Minister Fitzgerald’s commitment in principle to implementing the recommendations of the Working Group in relation to my Office’s complaints-handling remit. Implementation of these recommendations will give children living in Direct Provision the same access to my Office as other children living in Ireland. This will enable my Office to make a constructive contribution to the overall welfare of children living in Direct Provision accommodation. My Office looks forward to progressing this important issue with the Department of Justice and Equality.”

Issued jointly by the Ombudsman for Children and the Office of the Ombudsman

END

Note for Editors: 

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent and impartial office that examines complaints from the public about most public services including those delivered by:

• Government Departments
• Local Authorities
• HSE, including public hospitals
• Public and Private Nursing Homes
• Publically-funded third-level education institutions.

The Ombudsman is Peter Tyndall. 

The Ombudsman for Children’s Office is an independent statutory body with an overall mandate to promote the rights and welfare of children under the age of 18 years living in Ireland. Among the Ombudsman for Children’s core statutory functions is the independent and impartial investigation of complaints made by or on behalf of children in relation to public bodies providing services to or making decisions about children and families as well as organisations providing services on behalf of the State.

The Ombudsman for Children is Dr Niall Muldoon.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’sConcluding observations on the combined third and fourth periodic reports of Ireland are available here:

http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2fC%2fIRL%2fCO%2f3-4&Lang=en

For Media Enquiries to the Ombudsman:
David Nutley
Communications
Office of the Ombudsman
Ph: 01 639 5610 or 086 023 1420
E mail: david.nutley@ombudsman.ie
Office of the Ombudsman website: www.ombudsman.ie

For Media Enquiries to the Ombudsman for Children:
Eoghan Ó Neachtain
Heneghan PR
Tel: 087 6288030 / (01) 660 7305
Email: eoghan@hpr.ie
Ombudsman for Children's website:
www.oco.ie

El organismo coordinaría el trabajo y la experiencia de todos los agentes implicados en la mejora de la seguridad vial

El Justicia de Aragón, Fernando García Vicente, ha presidido esta mañana, en la sede de la Institución, una reunión impulsada por el Grupo Vehivial del Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica de la Universidad de Zaragoza, representando por el Profesor Juan José Alba, para presentar el proyecto de creación del Instituto Aragonés de Seguridad Vial a todos los agentes sociales relacionados con la seguridad vial, usuarios de vehículos, profesionales de diversa índole y las propias víctimas de los accidentes de tráfico.

Con la creación de este Instituto se pretende establecer un marco de trabajo riguroso y técnico alrededor de la seguridad vial, que ayude a coordinar esfuerzos y a optimizar recursos con el objetivo de reducir el número de accidentes de tráfico y sus víctimas en Aragón.

En opinión del Justicia de Aragón, la idea resulta muy oportuna porque todas las iniciativas de profesionales, técnicos e independientes, encaminadas a mejorar la seguridad vial, reducir los accidentes, insistir en la prevención desde la escuela y concienciar a la sociedad de la gravedad de este problema, merecen el apoyo de una Institución que, como el Justiciazgo, defiende los derechos y libertades de las personas.

A la reunión, han asistido, representantes de asociaciones de usuarios de la carretera, del ámbito sanitario, educativo y académico, de las víctimas de los accidentes de tráfico, de la Policía Local de Zaragoza, la Guardia Civil y de asociaciones y entidades de investigación para la seguridad vial que han coincidido en la conveniencia de crear este organismo, coordinador de esfuerzos ahora dispersos, y en su voluntad de colaborar con aportaciones concretas derivadas de sus respectivos ámbitos profesionales y experiencia.

Para ello han solicitado la colaboración del Justicia de Aragón, para que inste al Gobierno de la Comunidad Autónoma a que cree, en el ámbito de la Diputación General de Aragón, el Instituto Aragonés de Seguridad Vial, dotado de personalidad jurídica propia e independencia técnica.

Algunas funciones del futuro Instituto Aragonés de Seguridad Vial serían proponer a las instituciones competentes la elaboración de un Plan Aragonés de Seguridad Vial, elaborar estadísticas de accidentes propias, diseñar campañas de prevención de accidentes o fomentar la educación vial desde la escuela; en general, realizar todas las tareas que directa o indirectamente incidan en una mejora de la seguridad vial.

Emplazados por el Justicia de Aragón, todas las organizaciones convocadas volverán a reunirse próximamente en la sede de la Institución.