Dr. Tricia Keilthy:

It is the most important thing we can do to safeguard children's rights. We have already signed up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; this will just give them real force. Practically, it would mean that when we are developing legislation, we would be looking at children's rights in the round. If pre-legislative scrutiny was being done on any legislation coming before the committee, this will make sure the rights set out in the UN convention are properly adhered to in that legislation. When that is then enacted, children's rights are considered with regard to the provision of services and how children can access their rights through the courts.

It is also more of a cultural change. It is about thinking differently on how we consider children's rights in areas such as the public sector, civil servants, teachers, nurses, doctors and how we deliver our services with children's rights in mind. If a planning application is going through to a local council, are we considering how children's rights will be affected? If we are planning local facilities, whether it is a playground or green spaces, how are children's rights considered in this?

It is embedding children's rights in every aspect of decision-making so we have their best interests and hear their voices. That is clear: we must listen and give respect to children's voices when we are developing or implementing policies. It is not just about legal routes through the courts - that is a part of it - it is a cultural change. It is changing how we think about and make policy. This saves much more money in the future. If we are making good policy from the start that is compliant with children's rights - we are baking it in from the start - we will spend less money in the future dealing with all the issues we are highlighting here today. It is about early intervention and those supports needed at the very beginning.