The Child Law Project, (known as the Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) until 2022; Irish: Tionscadal Tuairiscithe an Dlí um Chúram Leanaí)[1] is an Irish statutory body established to produce research and journalism.[2] The body sent court reporters to relevant proceedings, including prosecutions of minors,[3] in Irish courts from 2012 to 2024, compiling regular reports.[4][5]
The project was established in 2012, under the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007,[6] with seeding provided by the One Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.[7] Family law proceedings in the Republic of Ireland take place in camera,[8] the project follows such cases in the Family Courts.[1][9] Board members include Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's Noeline Blackwell (chair), and former Chief Justice Frank Clarke,[10] Carol Coulter, an Irish Times journalist and adjunct professor of law at University of Galway,[11] founded the project and is its executive director.[12]
Reports from the project have been cited in academic journals such as the Journal of Social Work Education (Taylor & Francis),[13] Social Work & Social Sciences Review (Whiting & Birch),[14] Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies (TU Dublin),[15] Child Abuse Review (Wiley),[16] Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law (Taylor & Francis),[17] Child & Family Social Work (Wiley)[18] and Family Court Review (Wiley).[19] In November 2024, Special Rapporteur-for Children, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said that a report from the project "shines a light" on the care system in need of reform.[20]
The body failed to secure a tender in 2024.[21][22][3] In October 2024, District Court President Paul Kelly expressed concern at the closure of the project, which had not sent reporters to proceedings since the middle of the year.[3] Opposition politicians, Paul Murphy,[23] Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik,[24] and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín called for funding to be reinstated from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.[25]
