Two members of a powerful United Nations group are to visit Ireland to examine how children are treated in the country, it emerged tonight.
Children's Ombudsman Emily Logan said she was delighted the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child members had accepted her invitation before they are due to review the government's record on children's issues.
Brent Parfitt and Lucy Smith, the Committee's Rapporteur for Ireland, will arrive in Dublin tomorrow for a three-day long visit.
"Since Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, the Government has been obliged to submit progress reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child outlining how the State is fulfilling its commitments to children and young people, which it signed up to almost 15 years ago," Ms Logan said.
"The State first reported to the UN Committee in 1998 and this will happen again in September this year.
"As Ombudsman for Children, since April 2004 I have been given statutory responsibility for monitoring how the State treats children and young people.
"My office will be submitting an independent report to the UN Committee on our experiences thus far. We look forward to outlining these experiences to the Committee in Geneva in June."
Ms Logan said she was pleased the committee members would meet several groups of children and young people during their trip to hear at first-hand their experiences of growing up in Ireland today.
"As part of the visit the Committee members will also meet with representatives from other human rights bodies and some of the key organisations dedicated to promoting children's rights issues," she said.
"I hope that the committee members find the visit beneficial and will develop a good insight into children and young people's experiences of growing up in Ireland today."