The 2011 Report of the Special Rapporteur for Child Protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon was published on the 24th July 2012. The report is available on the websites of the Oireachtas (www.oireachtas.ie) and of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (www.dcya.ie). The report is a wide ranging
report and makes a series of recommendations in relation to child protection and the criminal justice system. The Report identifies a number of key areas in which the Government, and the DCYA, have already made substantial reforms; and a series of issues which will be addressed in the forthcoming Children’s Referendum. The key message in this report is that we must continue to implement our ongoing reform agenda for children and families.