THE GOVERNMENT IS expected to hold a referendum on children’s rights later this year but there is much to be decided between now and polling day.
For one there is no date or wording for the referendum but there has been a long campaign for it to be held. Campaigners in favour of amending the constitution believe that the rights of the child need to be protected because not doing this has had a negative impact on the welfare of young children in Ireland.
However potential opponents of the referendum would argue that the best interests of a child would not be served by the State or any agency but by the parents and that the potential change to the consitution could threaten the status of the family and the rights of parents in Irish society.
At present the only guidance on potential wording comes from a cross-party Oireachtas committee that examined the issue two years ago and proposed rewriting article 42 of the constitution to recognise the rights of children as individuals and include the right for the child’s voice to be heard in any judicial proceedings affecting them.
So while there is much to be decided we want to know how you would vote in the children’s rights referendum?
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