Press Release: Justice  3 November 2006

Links to: All Press Releases  2006 2005 2004  2003  2002  2001  2000

Dún Laoghaire, Environment, Justice and Latest Press Releases

3 November 2006

Green Party welcomes Taoiseach’s announcement to hold Referendum on Children’s Rights

- points to areas where Government continues to fail children

The Green Party has this evening welcomed the announcement made by An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD that he intends to hold a referendum on children’s rights. Mr Ahern made the announcement this evening as part of his speech to the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis.

Speaking this evening, Green Party spokesperson on Justice Ciarán Cuffe TD said “I am glad to see that the Government has finally decided to take the necessary steps towards ensuring that the rights and protection of Irish children are placed at the heart of our Constitution. This is something that the Green Party has been calling for for some time now, and is a core principle of the Party’s Children’s Policy which was published earlier this year.

“The Green Party is looking forward to taking part in the all-party consultation process to reach an appropriate wording for the constitutional amendment.”

“However, while today’s announcement marks a step in the right direction, there are still a number of areas where the current Government continues to fail our children. This Government has presided over one of the highest child poverty rates among the EU-15 member states. The Government has pressed ahead with the introduction of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders for children despite serious concerns voiced by experts in the child welfare field and damning evidence from the UK which has proved that ASBO’s don’t work. The Government has yet to implement the recommendations of the Task Force on Obesity. Furthermore, it is estimated that some 1,000 children do not make the transition from primary school to secondary school every year. Clearly, the Government has a long way to go.”