Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader arrange for a debate on this matter in due course? Will he also arrange for a debate on bringing in a ban on corporal punishment of children? I am glad the Council of Europe is making a decision against Ireland on this. It is long overdue. We should now do away with the continued defence of reasonable chastisement which is appalling and goes against the principle of children’s rights which we enshrined in our Constitution. Senator van Turnhout has spoken on this many times before. I echo her words on this and we need to introduce legislation on this without delay.