Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We all agree that the report published yesterday is shocking. What it describes is a disgrace, the way in which children died while in the care of the State or afterwards. My own reaction after reading about some of the cases was that this was in the period of great prosperity. The report covers the period between 2000 and 2010, when there was so much partying going on, when there was much clapping on the back about how wonderful the country was, how great we were doing and how much more money we had. However, during this time there were children dying in appalling circumstances. In some cases, they were neglected by the State, in some by their families and in others by those charged, either officially or through familial links, with responsibility for them. It makes for really shocking reading.

I agree with the Deputy that all of us, on a non-partisan basis, need to work to progress the measures needed to protect children. I thank him for acknowledging the leading role the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is playing in that regard. When the Government was formed, we decided that we were going to prioritise the protection of children and meeting their needs. We have made progress across several areas, with the establishment of a dedicated Department, in putting the guidelines on a statutory basis and the ring-fencing of budgets.

It is our intention to hold a referendum on the rights of children in the autumn. It is also our intention that the referendum will be held on a stand-alone basis. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, has been involved in consultations with Members of the House, with various political parties and with organisations that work in the area of children's rights to finalise matters in advance of the referendum. The intention is that the referendum will be held in the autumn and that the necessary legislation to facilitate it will be presented when the House returns after the summer recess.

See this speech in context