Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I rise to support Deputy Jan O'Sullivan's amendment. What she is proposing in this amendment is reflective of one of the core objectives of the children's referendum committee with regard to the voice of children being heard and the right of the child to be heard. That is one of the central tenets of what we have agreed on all-party basis should be reflected in the rights of the child from the constitutional amendment that we hope to have presented to the Irish electorate in the current year.

It is entirely appropriate and a requirement that this is reflected in the current legislation. Commensurate with age and ability to offer respective views, children should be given this opportunity and that is what we hope will be achieved in conjunction with other changes in the rights of the child that we wish to see achieved in the course of this year. I hope that as a staging post along the way to the presentation of the facilitating legislation, the Minister of State will accede to Deputy O'Sullivan's proposition.

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