Margaret Conlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to have this opportunity to make a brief contribution on the issue of a children's referendum. I was a member of the committee, albeit a late recruit, and I witnessed from the outset the commitment and dedication of every member from all sides of the Houses. I put on the record my appreciation of the Chair, Deputy O'Rourke, for the way in which she guided the committee. I commend her on her stewardship. The process gave me confidence in the political system. I was heartened by the fact that, despite the complex nature of the subject under discussion, we were in a position to agree on a report and a wording. That agreement will be positive and beneficial when the referendum is put to the people.

I thank the members of the Opposition for this welcome and necessary debate. I agree with Deputy O'Rourke on the need for consultation and the requirement for information to be in the public arena. This debate is a part of that consultative process.

While I, as a Government party Member, want an improvement in child welfare and protection and the referendum to be held without undue delay, the referendum will not cure all our problems. In recent years, we have witnessed many changes in terms of child welfare and protection, and rightly so. We have also witnessed and heard dreadful, harrowing stories involving fatal consequences for children. We must do whatever we can to ensure such events are not repeated, but we can only do so much. The constitutional amendment is a key piece of the jigsaw.

I sympathise with the family of the late Daniel McAnaspie. It is a dreadful, harrowing situation for any family to face. In these difficult and dark days, his family should remain foremost in our thoughts.

I would welcome the inclusion in the Constitution of the right of the child to have his or her voice heard in judicial or administrative proceedings affecting him or her and with regard to his or her maturity. The latter provision is relevant and is how it should be. For too long we heard the old saying, "Children should be seen and not heard." The inclusion of the proposed provisions in the Constitution would be a welcome advancement.

The family has always been and continues to be considerably important to citizens. I am glad our committee made it clear we were not attempting to reduce or dilute family rights in any way, because a child's best interests are served by being a part of a stable family unit. I have always stated that caring for children is the one job people do without any training. One has a baby, is handed the child, takes him or her home and learns as one goes. For some families, caring for children proves difficult for a variety of reasons, but children should only be removed from their family homes and familiar surroundings as a last resort and after other interventions have failed.

It took us a long time to get to where we are - 62 meetings, eight months of deliberation and the movement of the concluding date several times - but we managed to reach a consensus. As a Government, there is work still to be done. As a committee, we were united in a common purpose I hope will continue during the referendum campaign. It is important that people have the information presented to them in a clear and concise manner to avoid doubt or ambiguity about the implications of this proposal.

It is important we get it right and I would like to believe the referendum will be held without undue delay. I am pleased the Government is treating the issue seriously and that work is ongoing. While there should be no undue delay, a rushed referendum might not achieve the result we desire. It is important that people fully understand the complex issues involved.

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