Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)

I will be giving qualified support to the Bill. I do so because during the entire time Fianna Fáil was in government, it made no moves towards holding a referendum on children's rights. In their election manifestos, the Labour Party and Fine Gael afforded a high priority to holding such a referendum. We can see, however, that, in the context of the programme for Government, this Administration is stalling on this issue.

In February 2010, all-party agreement was reached in respect of the wording that would be necessary in order for a referendum to be held. We are in the final days of June 2011 and there is still no proposed date for such a referendum. It is vital that such a date should be identified and that we should enshrine the rights of children in the Constitution. One of the reasons people are so cynical with regard to politics relates to the type of toing and froing that has marked the debate on the need to recognise the rights of children and to hold a referendum thereon. Despite the fact that agreement on a wording was reached in 2010, nothing happened. Now the Fianna Fáil Party has introduced a Bill in respect of adoption in certain circumstances but we are still no closer to a date for the referendum in order that the rights of the weakest in our society, namely, children, might be recognised. Everyone has a duty of care to ensure those rights are recognised, strengthened and protected.

The amendment indicates that the Bill should be deemed to be read a Second Time in six months. I appeal to the Government to ensure it returns to the House at that time and identifies a date on which the referendum on children's rights will be held and that it provides a wording in respect of that referendum. If the latter is done we will then be in a position, once and for all, to put the rights of children to the fore. We will also be in a position to protect children within the Constitution. Taking the course I have outlined would also go some way to repairing the damage that has been done to politics in this country and to removing the cynical attitude that has arisen in respect of our profession. Our priority must be to protect those who are the most vulnerable.

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