The government has been awarded an overall C grade for its work with children over the last 12 months by the Children's Rights Alliance (CRA).

The grade was contained in the CRA's Report Card 2013, an annual report that analyses the government's work in relation to children. Last year, the government earned a C+ grade.

According to the report, this year's poorest performing department was the Department of Social Protection. It received an F grade due to its ‘harsh measures in Budget 2013, which hit poorest families hardest and had a devastating impact on children'.

The Department of Health also scored badly, with a D grade. According to the CRA, there were a number of issues, for example, it is failing to deal with the problem of alcohol misuse and it is not spending enough on mental health.

Delays relating to the Children's Hospital were also cited as an area of concern.

However, not all departments scored badly. In fact, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs gained an A grade for strengthening children's rights through the Children's Rights Referendum. It also earned a B- grade for steps it has taken to better protect abused and neglected children.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education was given a B- grade for ‘solid progress, particularly in literacy, patronage and school buildings'.

Commenting on the report, CRA chief executive, Tanya Ward, described it as a ‘mixed bag'. While children's rights were strengthened by the Referendum, they were ‘the real losers in Budget 2013 with cuts to Child Benefit not being reinvested in children's services and controversies and underspend in health leading to major delays in health reform'.

"For the second year in a row, we are failing to protect children from austerity measures. In fact, children are taking the brunt of these harsh measures and Traveller children and migrant children are getting little to no supports," she insisted.

Ms Ward added that unless all government departments work together, ‘the overall grade will remain a disappointment for those working incredibly hard to make a difference to children's lives'.