Ireland is one of the few countries in the world with a national play policy.

Omissions

• The six entities identified by Armstrong and Gaul (2023) include England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as separate jurisdictions alongside Ireland and Canada. If the UK is counted as a single sovereign state, the total falls to three countries (Ireland, UK, Canada). The MEP did not specify how 'country' is defined.
• Ireland's national play policy dates back to approximately 2004 and has not been substantially updated since, which the MEP acknowledges in the same speech by stating it must be brought up to date.
• The claim does not cite any source; the evidence comes from an academic review (Armstrong & Gaul, 2023) and was not directly attributed by the speaker.

Sources

• PrimaryGovernment of Ireland (gov.ie)Publication of 'Ready, Steady, Play: A National Play Policy' by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. The policy's overall objective is 'to plan for an increase in public play facilities' and to create better play opportunities for children.
• AcademicChildren & Society (Wiley Online Library) — Armstrong & Gaul, 2023This review shows that few, only six, of the 196 countries who have ratified the UNCRC have a policy or strategy dedicated to play. The six identified are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada.
• SecondaryEarly Childhood IrelandInternationally, only 6 countries have developed play policies (Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and Canada). In fact, there are more astronauts than countries with a national play policy.