Sir, - Behind the so-called "Celtic Tiger" phenomenon lurks a great deal of poverty. Your account (The Irish Times, September 9th) of the UN Human Development Report 1998 indicates that the Irish Republic has the highest concentration of poverty among Western countries outside the US. This is not the first time this year that the UN has made explicit reference to Ireland's unacceptable poverty levels.
In January 1998 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child scrutinised the Irish Government's Report on Ireland's compliance with the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. One of the committee's principal subjects of concern was the "difficulties faced by [Irish] children from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including children belonging to the Traveller community, children from poor families ... as to the enjoyment of their fundamental rights, including access to education, housing and health" (Concluding Observations of UN Committee, January 23rd 1998, para 14). While acknowledging the existence of Ireland's national antipoverty strategy, the UN committee was "particularly concerned about the incidence of child poverty and homeless children" (para 21). Finally, among its 18 suggestions and recommendations, the UN committee exhorted the Irish Government to "take immediate steps to tackle the problem of child poverty" (para 27).
The UN committee was alarmed that one-third of all Irish children were dependent on support systems and in their view this constituted a gross discrimination against children.
Ireland's next report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is due in 2003. The report of the Constitution Review Group (1996) recommended that children be given express constitutional rights. One of these rights must include the right to a secure, happy and poverty-free childhood. Is our Celtic Tiger society now prepared to give socio-economic constitutional rights to all children in order that they can enjoy a poverty-free citizenship? The UN committee, as champion of children's rights, will return to the issue of child poverty again. - Yours, etc., Frank Martin,
Lecturer in Family Law, Law Department, University College Cork.