Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I genuinely believe that young people are ill-served by this so-called debate. It is staged by the Government as a time-filler because it has not got its act together and it has no legislation to process today. This is the sum total of the entire matter. We were presented by this generalised motion last Friday and asked to come back by 10.30 a.m. on Monday with any amendments. The motion is hardly meritorious of amendment because it is of little consequence or substance. It is an invitation for statements rather than real debate. The Fine Gael amendment is essentially a different motion but it is worthy of support because it at least calls on the Government to come up with a plan of action. I will be supporting it for that reason alone.

Even with such a generalised subject matter, the Government has still managed to make a hash of the motion. Instead of setting out a rounded and comprehensive view of the place of young people in Ireland, it chose to focus on problems and feed into stereotypes. We were presented with a list of problems such as alcohol related harm, drug misuse and obesity, as if these were the exclusive preserve of young people. They do not only affect young people and certainly do not affect all of them. Alcohol abuse is endemic in Irish society. We have a culture which sees alcohol as part of the coming of age of young people. This is ruthlessly exploited by drugs manufacturers through advertising and the portrayal of drink as an essential element of a modern lifestyle. The blame should be put on the elders, where it firmly belongs. Those involved in the drinks industry and the Government who refuse to combat this glamorisation of alcohol or restrict advertising must bear much of the responsibility for the growing abuse of alcohol among young people.

A recent study has indicated that social differentiation between boys and girls is on the increase. The gap between genders is widening at a young age because of the exposure of children to relentless commercial pressures through advertising. Advertisers target mass audiences of boys and girls and the wider the diversity, the greater the number of products that can be pushed on young and impressionable minds. This has links with the sexualisation of young children which has damaging consequences. Children and young people are constantly presented with images of so-called perfect people whom they are encouraged to emulate. They face increasing pressure to conform to such images, with widespread implications for issues such as bullying and eating disorders. These are real issues for young people. Our ruthlessly commercialised society is robbing children of their childhood.

We should be debating the rights of children rather than the problems they confront if we really want to do some good. Their first is the right to a childhood. It was pleasant to hear one of the previous contributors describe a happy childhood but such should be the right of every child. Unfortunately, that is not the case for many children in Ireland. They have the right to be regarded as people rather than the most lucrative of consumers, which is the reality they often face. They have the right to the best possible care and an education which allows them to reach their full potential. It is an indictment of us all that the aforementioned rights are curtailed for many children in Ireland. I do not level the accusation only at the Government because there is collective responsibility.

Our child care infrastructure is inadequate to cater for the needs of children and their parents. The Government's mishandling of the community child care subvention scheme illustrates the flawed approach to child care in the State. The inadequate provisions for children with special needs are another example of rights denied. The lack of proper planning means that vast housing estates are being developed without provision for schools and other amenities for young people. Further problems are thereby being stored up for the future.

The Government motion makes much of the importance of consulting young people on matters of public policy which affect them. It welcomes the growth of this practice among public bodies in the development of facilities and services for young people. However, the reality is far from the picture presented in the motion. Improvements may have been made in consulting some young people but the vast majority are ignored. No substantial consultation is taking place. They are not considered a party to the determination of what is to be done in their interest. This must change and, if the motion is to have any meaning, there must be a resolute commitment on the part of the Government to translate it into practice.

On Monday I spoke at an engagement with Cavan County Council attended by my constituency colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brendan Smith. Scouting Ireland's Castle Saunderson project on the Cavan-Fermanagh border exemplifies the importance of taking imaginative and far-seeing initiatives that can impact on the lives of young people. Sadly, its ambitions have not been thus far realisable. A number of years ago I worked with colleagues to arrange a meeting attended by representatives of all the scouting organisations on the island. This unique occasion, held in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, was facilitated by Sinn Féin. The Castle Saunderson project would have established a facility that could have been enjoyed by some 60,000 young Irish boys and girls who would have had the opportunity to participate in healthy pursuits and learn from others from a variety of backgrounds and with disparate opinions and experiences. Years later, however, we are trying to argue for a contracted version of the original proposal and there is still not a sufficient commitment throughout the island, either in terms of governance or independent funding support, to ensure this project's realisation. It needs a Minister at Cabinet to properly champion it and put the interests of such a large number of young people first. I urge that this be taken on board to ensure this wonderful idea is realised. I commend it to the Ministers concerned and thank the Ceann Comhairle for his patience.

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