Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will start by referring to the children's future health cross-party group which we launched this morning. I thank Senators and Deputies, across parties, who joined me. They included Senators Ivana Bacik and Marie Moloney and Deputies Clare Daly, Billy Kelleher, Sandra McLellan, Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Thomas Pringle. I thank the Irish Heart Foundation for supporting us in our work with a secretariat, with the Children's Rights Alliance, Social Justice Ireland and Healthy Food for All. The need for a cross-party group on children's future health is to be found in the reality that one in four children in Ireland is overweight or obese and that one in five children goes to bed hungry. We hope that, as a cross-party group, we can agree on actions to be taken in this area. Later this year we will launch the first ever study of food marketing to children via the Internet and social media which is being carried out by the Irish Heart Foundation. We will work with anyone and everyone who wishes to work on the issue of children's future health.

I wish to raise an issue with the Leader regarding the children's rights referendum. Yesterday there was a decision on costs when the Supreme Court dealt with the legal challenges. The President signed the children's rights referendum Act into law on 28 April which was a glorious day.However, if one looks at the Office of the Attorney General's website, www.irishstatutebook.ie, concerning the 31st amendment to the Constitution it states the result of the referendum "is currently the subject of a legal challenge". On Friday last I wrote to the Attorney General to seek clarification. As I had contacted her office prior to that but without success, I decided to write to her. I have been advised that the Office of the Attorney General will not update its website until the Constitution is reprinted, a matter I have found that comes within the remit of the Office of Public Works. When I contacted that office, it stated it had completed a print run in February and had no intention of completing another in the foreseeable future because it was waiting to include the latest amendment in the next print run. The result of the marriage equality referendum is being challenged in the courts. This is unacceptable and an impasse. The Office of the Attorney General's website states there is a legal challenge to the 31st amendment to the Constitution - the children's rights referendum. To me, it feels like children are being told to wait again because we have to wait for a reprint of a book. I do not understand it. The President signed the Act into law on 28 April and we have waited long enough. There are children who did not receive their rights during the period of two and a half year while the outcome was being appealed. I respect the concept of democracy, but there were children waiting to be adopted who turned 18 years of age during that period and whose rights were extinguished. I have written to the Attorney General and the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, but I would be grateful for any guidance, help or support the Leader could offer. At the very least, the websites should be accurate.

I repeat my call for a discussion on the implementation of the proposals made in the working group's report on the direct provision system which was published last week. It is a weighty tome, but much of it requires to be implemented. We need to see action on the proposals made in it. I, therefore, ask for a debate on the issue at the earliest opportunity.