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Poll: How are you voting in the Children's Referendum?

Tá or Níl?

DESPITE THE CONTROVERSY over the Government’s website and information booklet, the electorate will go to the polls tomorrow to vote in the long-awaited Children’s Rights Referendum.

The intention of the proposed new article, the wording of which can be found here, is to protect children, support families and ensure the equal treatment of under 18s.

It recognises the “natural and imprescriptible rights of all children” and ensures they will be protected by law. It allows for the State to become the guardian for children in exceptional cases – regardless of their parents marital status – if the safety and welfare of the child is found by a court to be at risk. The new article will also provide for adoption when a court finds that is in the best interests of the child.

Writing for TheJournal.ie today, Fergus Finlay has said a Yes vote will end the culture of children not being seen or heard in Ireland. However, social worker and former foster parent Pat Kavanagh argues that a No vote is in the best interests of children.

How will you be voting in tomorrow’s Children’s Referendum?


Poll Results:

No (2539)
Yes (1577)
I don't know (1177)
I'm not voting (604)
I can't vote (out of the country, etc...) (501)

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263 Comments
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    Mute Keith Moore
    Favourite Keith Moore
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 9:53 AM

    medium term fiscal consolidation plan 2012-2015, my arse. they’ll just come back to mister Joe public and **** them again with more taxes and levies even after sayin in election campaign that neither would happen. same aul ***** but in different clothes.

    63
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    Mute Neil
    Favourite Neil
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:14 AM

    There’s a 20bn gap between tax and expenditure. What is your proposal for sorting that out without raising taxes or cutting spending?
    Or do you think the IMF will fund us forever?

    65
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    Mute Rob Power
    Favourite Rob Power
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:54 AM

    @Neil – Keith has every right to be annoyed. I realise spending cuts and tax increases can often be a necessity, but its the fact that FG can u-turn on their election promises so easily that frustrates me!

    30
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    Mute Neil
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 11:22 AM

    @Rob

    The only party I can remember running on a policy of no cuts in spending or tax increases being necessary was Sinn Fein. The Pension fund would pay for everything.

    I don’t recall Fine Gael or Labour having a policy of breaking the deal with the IMF/ECB.
    Have you a source for this?

    26
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    Mute Declan Carroll
    Favourite Declan Carroll
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 2:46 PM

    SinnFein, my arse !! Don’t get me started. It makes no difference who is in Govt for the next 5-10 years. Whoever is in Govt will have to do what the IMF/ECB tell them. Plain & simple. FF & Co are responsible for not doing what Govts are elected to do – govern. The electorate shares a portion of the blame, too. People elected them in & in the end, Irl Inc got what it voted for. Time to stop the blame game & S.U.M.O. on this – shut up, move on. What has happened – happened. That can’t be undone & we “all” have a responsibility to make sure it NEVER happens again. Time will tell. What I most want to see out of this mess is for those who failed to govern in Govt & financial institutions brought to justice for their betrayal of this nation. Will that happen ? Don’t hold your breath. Methinks it’s because they are all too connected & afraid to make a move for fear of who will start spilling the beans. If right was right, the IMF/ECB should have insisted that those who failed in Govt are brought to justice. For a start, strip them of they pay offs & pensions & give them the regular state pension. About time this nation stood up & said enough is enough. For what it’s worth folks.

    23
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    Mute gareth byrne
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:57 AM

    Start by cuting the wages of our TDs and TOP paid public workers.Then target welfare scams and tax thoses earning over 100,000 euro with a super tax.I,like orther people have done our share with new taxs and pay cuts.We cant and wont take any more pain as the goverment keeps saying.The rich are getting richer and joe public is left to rot.What a mess this country is in.

    35
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    Mute stephen corrigan
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 11:56 AM

    I think you’ll find they have been cut!

    11
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    Mute made
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 12:19 PM

    what gets to me is at the start of all this mess all we heard was "everyone will have to shoulder the burden", everyone is not shouldering the burden, only the ordinary Joe soap is as usual.
    I heard a TD on the radio the other day saying "One of his holidays this year will be in Ireland" and he thought he was a great fella, ONE OF HIS HOLIDAYS??????
    I don’t know about anyone else but I can’t afford to go on holidays, so who’s shouldering the burden there!!!!

    32
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    Mute Guinness Follower
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:00 AM

    I suspect you could be right.

    21
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    Mute gareth byrne
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 12:03 PM

    Stephan,They havent been cut far enough.

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    Mute David Sheridan
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:44 AM

    Don’t take anymore tax or levy’s from me and i will take my chances….

    8
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    Mute Peter McKeever
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 10:41 PM

    I agree, taxes need to be raised, the higher earners tax that is. Bringing it in line with the likes of Germany and Denmark would do absolute wonders for our economy, at LEAST sort out the healthcare sector. I mean, what are we, the Cayman Islands?

    2
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    Mute sure2bsure
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    Sep 4th 2011, 9:49 AM

    Let’s all hail and grovel appropriately to our munificent benefactors.

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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
    Favourite Sean O'Keeffe
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    Sep 3rd 2011, 11:09 AM

    http://economics.com.au/?p=5849
    Denmark & Ireland’s approach in the 80′s.

    1
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