Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I rise to support my colleague, Senator Alex White, in seeking a debate on a report which is hot off the press given it was only launched during the past hour. As Senator White correctly stated, it is a consensus report. It is the first time ever we have had all-party consensus on such an important topic as children's rights. The timing in this regard is correct in light of the Murphy, Ryan and Ferns reports and what has been going on in Rome in recent days.

It is rather sad that the bishops are coming home after only a day and half of deliberations to carry out their in Ash Wednesday duties. Ash Wednesday is not such a big day anymore in the calendar of the Church. In light of the terrible and horrific abuse meted out to young children at the hands of clerics, the least the bishops could have done was to have spent longer than a day and half discussing what has happened.

The report proposes that the State can for the first time ever intervene where children have been let down by their parents and that children who are, or will be in the future, in long-term fostering can now be considered for adoption. Also, for the first time ever the wording, "That the State will cherish all children equally", will be used. I always thought that "equally" was at the end of that sentence, but it never was. Now, for the first time, we will have the words stating that: "The State will cherish all children equally". For the first time ever we are going to try to give a voice to children on children's matters.