Résumé

Le 12 mars 2020, le gouvernement irlandais a annoncé un confinement national dans l’objectif de lutter contre la propagation de la Covid-19. Cette mesure a eu un impact immédiat et significatif sur les enfants. Un an plus tard, dans un contexte de restrictions persistantes, il est opportun de réfléchir à la manière dont le virus Covid-19 et les décisions prises par le gouvernement pour y répondre ont un impact sur les droits des enfants en Irlande. Ce chapitre vise à fournir une vue d’ensemble de l’impact du virus et des actions clés prises par le gouvernement pour répondre à la pandémie sur les droits des enfants en Irlande. Bien qu’il faille attendre un certain temps avant de pouvoir mesurer et évaluer pleinement les conséquences sur les droits de l’enfant, les informations récupérées au cours des douze derniers mois offrent de nombreuses occasions de réfléchir à la protection des droits de l’enfant en Irlande et à certains des défis à relever pour garantir le respect et la réalisation des droits de l’enfant.

INTRODUCTION

On 12 March 2020, the Irish Government announced a national lockdown in response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Ireland. The first case had been confirmed in Ireland on 29 February, and Ireland took the decision to follow other nations in imposing severe restrictions on movement in an attempt to curb the spread of the pandemic. This move had an immediate and significant impact on children. Schools, childcare providers and youth groups closed with little warning, and many aspects of children's lives – particularly their education and their social lives – moved online.

At the time of writing, in March 2021 – one year later, and amid continuing restrictions – it is timely to reflect on how COVID-19, and the decisions taken by the Government to respond to it, are impacting on the rights of children in Ireland. It is increasingly clear that children are being severely impacted by the changes in their circumstances, by the restrictions imposed in order to tackle the crisis, and also by the virus itself. Ireland is not alone in this: children and young people across the globe are experiencing significant changes in their daily lives. The consequences of COVID-19 for children have been far-reaching; many aspects of daily life have been disrupted, and children who are already marginalised or vulnerable have experienced particularly adverse consequences.