One in seven children in Ireland is lost to homelessness, poverty or neglect, Barnardos has warned.

The children's charity has launched a major new campaign, 'Lost Childhood', in an attempt to tackle this serious issue.

"You only need look at the thousands of children living in hotels or in overcrowded accommodation without the space they need to live, play and grow, the thousands more living in poverty, and those who are languishing on waiting lists for essential health services, such as speech and language therapy, to see that children and childhood are not a priority in Ireland. How do we as a country think this is ok?" asked Barnardos CEO, Fergus Finley.

He emphasised that where a child lives or the amount of money their parents have should not determine their access to protection, healthcare and an education.

"Yet one in seven children, that is over 170,000 childhoods and futures, are being written for them through circumstances beyond their control, and because of poor policy making. We need to shine a light on the experiences of these children, highlighting this injustice at a national level and demand real solutions," Mr Finley insisted.

He said that children have not been a priority politically and the importance of childhood has not been valued as it should be.

The charity, which works with more than 15,000 families every year, wants to engage individuals, other organisations and the Government to tackle this issue. It has proposed a range of solutions, which if implemented, could change the lives of children in Ireland.

"The practical things we are looking for immediately are essential public services, the cost of which is less than €250 million, and the absence of which is the reason why so many children are lost. Not the billions that are proposed to be spent on metros and motorways, just the beginnings of an investment into the future of our children," Mr Finley said.

These essential public services should include:
-Ensuring all children have a good start by introducing a dedicated child and family public health nurse system with guaranteed home visits
-Guaranteeing all children have access to quality early childhood care and education by extending the ECCE scheme for an additional year, opening it to all two-year-olds
-Providing free school books to all primary school children
-Fulfilling every child's right to quality healthcare by providing fully staffed primary healthcare teams nationwide at a ratio of one for every 1,500 children
-Guaranteeing that no child spends more than six months in emergency accommodation and increasing the building of social housing to provide long-term solutions for families experiencing homelessness.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Claire Cahill, explained that her son was diagnosed with scoliosis at two years of age, but he did not receive the treatment that he needed until he was seven years old.

"During those five years that we waited, experiencing numerous delays and disappointments, his condition dramatically worsening to the point where his spine was at a 75 degree angle and his little body began to twist. He didn't grow or gain weight, and was experiencing extreme pain on a daily basis.

"He's been left with lifelong reduced lung capacity because of ongoing delays in getting vital surgery. My child, like so many others on waiting lists for healthcare are suffering needlessly. Childhood is short, it needs to be prioritised," Ms Cahill said.

Also speaking at the launch, Barnardos project worker, Finola McLoughlin, emphasised that while childhood is short, the experiences a person has in those few years shapes them for the rest of their lives.

"All children must be guaranteed to be able to reach their own potential. But we see daily that when a child's basic needs are not met for an extended period because of the lack of a secure home, a caring environment, developmental support or sufficient healthcare, the consequences will be felt for the rest of their life.

"All parents need support at different times, some more than others but we know that when parents are supported, their children fare better too. It is a win win and needs to be recognised more," she commented.

Barnardos is calling on members of the public to join their campaign here

Watch the charity's LOST film here