The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) received 36 complaints from Kerry in 2020.
These figures were released as part of its annual report and they account for 3% of its complaints for that period.
Nationally, the OCO received over 1,180 (1,187) complaints about services provided to children in 2020; 6% of the complaints came directly from children, this is an increase from 3% on 2019.
The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon says it’s not very surprising that 36 of the complaints came from Kerry, given the population spread.
He says it shows that they still have to work hard to let people in the county know they are here.
100% of the children who contacted the OCO mentioned the impact of the pandemic on their mental health.
Other issues included remote learning, the digital divide, lack of clarity on State examinations, children who feared bringing COVID-19 home to high-risk households and the impact on children with special educational needs.
The Ombudsman for Children is encouraging children, parents or those working with children in Kerry to contact the OCO.
He says it’s a free, impartial service to anybody who thinks a child has been treated unfairly by a public body or Government funded organisation.
Visit www.oco.ie for information on how to contact the office or make a complaint.
