Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have not spoken much on this matter in the past few months. While 17 reports and over 20 years of debate have taken place around this issue, I note we have heard those calling for ?Yes? and ?No? votes in the forthcoming referendum. However, we have not heard from children themselves. I am only new in politics but this seems to be the first constitutional referendum for which there is full cross-party co-operation. All parties and Independents have said ?Yes? to this referendum. When I asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs who would say ?No? to giving children?s rights a place in the Constitution, she told me I would be surprised by who would come out of the woodwork at the last minute. I must say I have been very surprised by who has and their scaremongering of ordinary decent families. For several days, many such families have told me they have changed their minds because of what they heard on television from the ?No? campaign.

I have first-hand experience of two types of abuse. A dear friend of mine, whose case has been documented in the courts, was systematically abused from nine years of age, with his sister, by the person who was meant to protect them and give them their voice. His life and family were ruined by this. I know of two young boys who walked out of their family home at 15 years of age because they had no father since they were born and their mother was an alcoholic. Through the medium of sports, they were able to pick up their lives again. They had no one to go to. They had their own voices but they were not heard. This referendum will protect children?s rights and ensure children?s voices will be heard in future. We must vote ?Yes? on Saturday for children to be heard.