Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 461: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of submissions, and from whom, she has received on the proposed children's referendum since 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32408/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Programme for Government 2011 states that the Referendum on Children's Rights is a priority, and that the wording of the proposed referendum will be along the lines of that proposed by the All Party Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children. When the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children was established by resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas in November 2007 it called for submissions from the public and interested groups. Over 144 submissions were received and these submissions have gone to inform the work of the Committee. The Committee listed the submissions it received in Appendix C of the Third Report of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children which was published in February 2010. The Committee also received further oral and written presentations during the course of its deliberations.

The Referendum on Children is far reaching in its scope. Both my predecessor and I have, during the course of meetings on a variety of topics, discussed issues relating to the referendum with a wide range of individuals and groups. Furthermore the issue has been referred to in the context of meetings and submissions on a wide range of issues not necessarily devoted to the issue of the referendum itself. Therefore it would be difficult to provide an accurate figure of the number of submissions received, and from whom those submissions came.

I wish to assure the Deputy that all submissions, whether specifically related to the proposed Referendum on Children or where issues arose in the context of discussions on other issues, will be taken into account in the on going deliberations on the Referendum.