UNICEF Ireland also advises the Irish Government and other bodies on policies and legislation which support programmes and commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF Ireland raises funds for these programmes through donations, the sale of cards and gifts, partnerships with companies and special events.

[6][7][8] In 2009, Tesco used “Change for Good” as advertising, which is trade marked by UNICEF internationally for charity usage but is not trademarked for commercial or retail use which prompted the agency to say "it is the first time in UNICEF’s history that a commercial entity has purposely set out to capitalise on one of our campaigns and subsequently damage an income stream which several of our programmes for children are dependent on”.They went on to call on the public “who have children’s welfare at heart, to consider carefully who they support when making consumer choices”.

[9] [10] In July 2011, former UNICEF Ireland executive director Melanie Verwoerd said she was “deeply shocked” to have been sacked from the charity because of the publicity surrounding her relationship with Gerry Ryan.

Munster and Ireland rugby player Donncha O'Callaghan,[15] Rory McIlroy,[16] Stephen Rea, Cathy Kelly,[17] Gaelic sports stars Joe Canning and Dermot Earley,[18] Dustin the Turkey and Liam Neeson.