Dr. Niall Muldoon:

The constitutional change is vital. We have seen the benefit of constitutional change over the past number of years. Society changes and it gives our people on the ground around the country the benefit of these changes. A survey of Irish primary school principals at the start of the year indicated that 40% of principals had engaged with children in homelessness. The problem is spread all over the country and everybody knows someone in that situation. There is a groundswell of opinion that we must now protect our children and families at the highest level. We all know legislation changes behaviour. We have seen that with the other constitutional changes over the past five, six or seven years, all of which have created a conversation, brought issues to the fore and allowed a discussion to take place. We are asking for a discussion to take place in the Oireachtas and across the nation to ask if this is the way we want to go and if this is the sort of standard that will be set for our children so we will not allow anybody to fall into this position ever again. Of course, this must be followed with legislation and that is where work must come from parliamentarians.

We must send a signal that our children and families are so important we will not allow anybody else to be in this position ever again. It must a constitutional right that can be stood over. This must undoubtedly be followed with practical actions but that is the best answer. With the recent referendums on children and marriage, there was a very clear statement to the cohorts affected by the issues that we are standing by them. We need to get to that point. There was a constitutional referendum in 2012 around children and we have not followed through on that sufficiently. This is one way of ensuring that does not happen again.

The Chairman mentioned best interest analysis and displacement of people from one list to another. I am afraid that could be the sort of conversation that allows people to use the argument that homelessness is a choice and I do not want that to happen. Again, that is a Government decision-----