Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the failure of the Government to honour its commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Ireland is a signatory, by continuing to subject children living in this country who are the children of asylum seekers or those seeking humanitarian leave to remain to the habitual residence condition for child benefit, despite the fact that this policy fails to take account of the best interests of the child; and as this is Universal Children's Day, I ask the Government to clarify its commitments under the UN convention and its own policies in the national children's strategy and Towards 2016 where it recognises the importance of child benefit in combating child poverty, and to clarify how allowing this condition to remain in place meets those stated commitments.

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