The failure to appoint an Ombudsman for Children over a year after the Dáil passed legislation to create the office shows the Government is paying "lip service" to children's rights, the Labour Party said today.
Senator Kathleen O'Meara, whom Labour have appointed as spokesperson on children's issues, told reporters in Dublin today that children are a "vulnerable section of the community without a champion".
"At present breaches of children's rights and welfare by public bodies cannot now be investigated and those with a complaint - children themselves, their parents, or someone acting on behalf of a child - have nowhere to go except to court.
"The foot-dragging on the establishment of the office of an Ombudsman for Children shows that this Government is only paying lip service to the rights of children," Ms O'Meara said.
The Green Party also supported the speedy introduction of the Ombudsman and called for more childcare places in light of CSO figures showing childcare costs average almost €100 per week.
Mr Ciarán Cuffe said: "For many families it costs more to pay for childcare than to pay the mortgage on the family home. The State should play a more active role in supporting the family, and cherishing children. This means increasing child benefit and directly providing new childcare facilities."
Labour's claim comes a week after the Children's Rights Alliance repeated its call for the office to be set up following the death of two year-old Roisin Ruddle - who died at home last week less that 24 hours after surgery for a critical heart complaint was cancelled.
The legislation provides for the ombudsman to investigate matters such as inadequate public services for children.
The position was first proposed by the Fine Gael-led Rainbow coalition seven years ago. During last year's general election the Government promised the ombudsman would in place by the end of last year.
"Two-and-a-half years later, the National Children's Strategy is stalled with the failure to implement the first and most important action ... Now they tell us that it may be at least 2004 before the office is finally established," said Ms O'Meara, who was accompanied by her party's spokesperson's on health and education at a press conference to highlight the issue today.