2021/2022: YEAR 2
B.A. in Early Childhood Studies and Practice
Assessment Guidance
Title of Module: ECS205 The Child and Family in Irish Law
Assignment: Written Assignment
Weighting: 50%
Word Count: 1,800 words (+/-20%)
Deadline: 27th February 2022
Students have a choice of responding to ONE of TWO Assignments; Assignment One is presented below. Please scroll down further to view the second option, Assignment Two.
Assignment One:
Historically, Ireland has a poor record of child protection; however, substantial advances have been made to this area from both a legislative and constitutional perspective over the last decade.
Outline and examine three key changes to Irish legislation pertaining to the protection and welfare of children over the last ten years. Discuss the impact, if any, these changes have had on early years practice. What more could be done from a legal perspective to ensure the safety of all children in our state?
Refer to the following guidelines:
For this assignment, you should draw on material from across the module. It should consider the following;
• Consider two amendments to the Constitution and three changes to legislation and discuss the potential impact of these changes in relation to vulnerable children.
• Assess the current legislative and policy requirements of Early Years Settings in relation to child protection.
• Examine to what extent the above mentioned changes have affected childcare and child protection in Early Years Settings.
Criteria Assessment: Assignment should:
• Overall paper introduced in a clear and concise manner.
• Be well organised and presented appropriately.
• Show evidence of the ability to describe three key pieces of legislative changes in Ireland relating to child protection.
• Show evidence of an ability to evaluate the impact of legislation on practice in Early Years Settings.
• Use of recommended literature to support discussion.
• Clear, concise conclusion summarising paper and highlighting key points.
• Adherence to word count limits
• Reference to academic standards and include all stated requirements.
Document Naming: Please adhere to the course naming convention, and save and submit your document using the following code: ECS205_StudentNameInitial_StudentNumber_WA OR ECS205_MurphyM_01234567_WA
IMPORTANT: Please refer to a minimum of three of the following sources in your paper. You should also include other sources in your paper, such as the module handbook and associated reading lists. Other useful resources will be listed on Blackboard.
CORE READING LIST:
Egan, A. and Garrity, S. (2022) ‘The Legislative and Regulatory Landscape for ECEC in Ireland’, in Hayes, N. and Walsh, T. (eds), Early Childhood Education and Care in Ireland. Charting a Century of Development (19212021), (Forthcoming). Oxford: Peter Lang Publishing. (page numbers not available)
Salmon, H. (2019) ‘Legislation, the Oireachtas and the Courts’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 20(3) pp.59-65.
Department of Children and Youth Affairs (2011) Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children. Available at: https://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/Publications/ChildrenFirst.pdf
Pobal (2016) Developing a Child Protection and Welfare Policy: A Resource for Early Years Services. Available at:
http://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Revised_-Developing_a_Child_Protection__Welfare_Policy_A_Resource_for_Early_Years_Services_.pdf
Shannon, G. (2016) Ninth Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection – A Report submitted to the Oireachtas, Available at:
https://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/publications/201611189thReportoftheSpecialRapporteuronChildProtection.pdf
Details of the legislation relating to child protection are available on www.irishstatutebook.ie. Another useful resource relating to children and young people is the Department of Children and Youth Affairs website, https://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=120
RECOMMENDED READING LIST:
Corbett, M. (2017) ‘An Analysis of Child Care Proceedings through the Lens of the Published District Court Judgments’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 20(1) pp.7-14.
O’Nolan, C. & Buckley, H. (2015) ‘Understanding and Making the Most of Child Abuse Inquiries: Devising CLEAR Recommendations’ Irish Journal of Family Law 18(2) pp.27-33.
McNamara, D.M. (2020) ‘Developing a Right of Aftercare for Young People Transitioning Out of State Care’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 23(2) pp.39-43.
O’Mahony, C. et al (2012) ‘Child Care Proceedings in the District Court: What Do We Really Know’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 15(2) pp.49-55.
Child Care Reporting Project gives details of legislation and cases observed in the District Court – see https://www.childlawproject.ie/
Students have a choice of responding to ONE of TWO Assignments; Assignment Two is presented below.
Assignment Two:
Topic: Non-marital fathers are second-class citizens from an Irish legislative and constitutional perspective.
There has been significant changes to the legislative rights of unmarried fathers since the 1980’s in Ireland but their constitutional rights remain static. Outline and evaluate three key legislative changes relating to guardianship. Discuss two significant changes to the constitution that have had a positive effect upon families generally. Critically examine what, if any, implications these legislative and constitutional changes have had in your setting.
Refer to the following guidelines:
For this assignment, you should draw on material from across the module. It should consider the following;
• The changes to legislation in relation to guardianship, custody and access in Ireland since the 1980’s, and their effect on the progression of rights for unmarried fathers.
• Examine to what extent such changes impacted upon childcare in Early Years Settings.
• What impact, if any, does the marital status of parents influence policy change in your setting?
Criteria Assessment: Assignment should:
• Overall paper introduced in a clear and concise manner.
• Be well organised and presented appropriately.
• Show evidence of the ability to describe three key pieces of legislative changes in Ireland relating to guardianship.
• Show evidence of an ability to evaluate the impact of legislation on practice in Early Years Settings.
• Use of recommended literature to support discussion.
• Clear, concise conclusion summarising paper and highlighting key points.
• Adherence to word count limits
• Reference to academic standards and include all stated requirements.
IMPORTANT: Please refer to a minimum of three of the following sources in your paper. You should also include other sources in your paper, such as the module handbook and associated reading lists. Other useful resources will be listed on Blackboard.
CORE READING LIST:
Egan, A. and Garrity, S. (2022) ‘The Legislative and Regulatory Landscape for ECEC in Ireland’, in Hayes, N. and Walsh, T. (eds), Early Childhood Education and Care in Ireland. Charting a Century of Development (19212021), (Forthcoming). Oxford: Peter Lang Publishing. (page numbers not available)
Tobin, B. (2020) ‘Guardianship and Unmarried Fathers in Ireland: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?, Irish Journal of Family Law, 23(4) pp.87-92.
Ward, P. (1994) ‘The Irish Family outside Marriage and the European Convention on Human Rights—Keegan v Ireland’, Irish Law Times, (12) pp.168-173.
RECOMMENDED READING LIST:
Egan, A. (2011) ‘Are Fathers Discriminated Against in Irish Family Law? An Empirical Study’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 14(2), 38-49.
Egan, A. (2005) ‘The guardianship rights of unmarried fathers in Ireland and New Zealand’, Irish Journal of Family Law, 8(3) pp.15-21.
Cronin, B. (2018) “Presumption of Paternity and Registration of Births”, Irish Journal of Family Law, 21(4) pp.87-90.
Treoir is an organisation which supports unmarried parents and their children – see www.treoir.ie
Citizens Information – is a useful resource for an overview of all areas of law – see http://citizensinformation.ie/en/
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YEAR 2 B.A. in Early Childhood Studies and Practice 2021/2022
Advice on Assessment
Module name: ECS205 In Irish Law, the Child and Family
Assignment: Write an essay
50 percent weighting
Word Count: 1800 words (+/- 20%)
The deadline is February 27th, 2022.
Students must answer to ONE OF TWO Assignments; Assignment One is shown below. Please continue scrolling down to see the second option, Assignment Two.
Onest Assignment:
Historically, Ireland has a poor record of child protection; however, substantial advances have been made to this area from both a legislative and constitutional perspective over the last decade.
Outline and examine three key changes to Irish legislation pertaining to the protection and welfare of children over the last ten years. Discuss the impact, if any, these changes have
