Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As we all know, the issue of child abuse is reported in the newspapers, if not daily then every second day. The headlines in the past two weeks on the Roscommon case put more pressure on the Government to amend the Constitution to protect children. The rights of children need to be enshrined in the Constitution. We have had the findings of the Roman Catholic Church's national board for safeguarding children that the diocese of Cloyne was not compliant with the church's own child protection policies, having failed to alert the authorities to child sexual abuse allegations, and we have had the Roscommon case involving the first woman in the history of the State to be jailed for incest and abusing her own children. The deadline for the commission to publish its report should be extended so that the commission may include also the victims and outcomes of these two cases.

We are told that child abuse is rampant in this country. The Rape Crisis Centre published figures in October 2008. It reported that 60% of people abused in childhood were abused for longer than a year. It also estimated that almost 7% of childhood abuse is perpetrated on girls under the age of four. Girls are much more likely to be abused by a family member or extended family member. Boys are much more likely than girls to be abused by an authority figure, which may include a youth leader, priest, or sports coach.

What constitutes child abuse? Children have a right to enjoy their childhood free from sexual abuse, violence or injury at the hands of adults or others. This right is enshrined in law, from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child down to national laws and guidelines. Children can be subjected to different forms of abuse, including by paedophiles when children are sexually abused by adults. Paedophiles are monsters. Neglect occurs where a child is deprived of food, clothing, warmth, hygiene, stimulation or care. Another form is emotional abuse, where affection, approval, consistency and security are withheld from a child. The effects of sexual abuse include post-traumatic distress disorder, deliberate self-harm, suicide, promiscuity, alcohol abuse and depression. Unless abused children are identified and receive counselling and the best psychiatric services, I am afraid they will never be free to reach their potential or enjoy their lives.