Publish children’s rights wording, Government urged by Sinn Féin Dáil leader

Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin with Cavan/Monaghan colleague Kathryn Reilly

NEWS that wording for the children’s rights amendment to the Constitution has been agreed between Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews and Attorney General Paul Gallagher has been welcomed by Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin but the Sinn Féin Dáil leader is worried that TDs’ input through an Oireachtas committee may have been diluted.

The Government’s approved wording was not revealed with the news and the Sinn Féin TD, who was a member of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, called for its immediate publication.

The Cavan/Monaghan TD said:

A referendum to strengthen the rights of children in the Constitution is long overdue.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, of which I was a member, did a huge amount of work, consulted widely and drew on a large body of research before framing the wording which was finally agreed by all parties.

As the Government in the person of Minister of State Barry Andrews was party to this agreed wording, I have repeatedly urged that this should be the Constitutional amendment put before the people in a referendum. We must now assess to what extent that wording has been diluted.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin added:

The issue here is the protection of children in the Constitution, in law and in practice. Constitutional and legal changes will be worthless unless they provide the basis for improving the lives of children, especially those vulnerable to abuse and neglect.

Children's Minister Barry Andrews has indicated that the referendum should be able to be held before the current government leaves office.