Childrens Rights Referendum "Before End of Year" - Martin - Election Implications ?

[Dr. FIVE]

Gov has finalised wording. Children's referendum on Saturday 10th November.

[C. Flower]

Dropping the words "Cherish all of the children equally" I hear.

[Dr. FIVE]

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald T.D., has today welcomed the announcement by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. that the Children’s Referendum will be held on Saturday November 10th.

Minister Fitzgerald stated:

“This Referendum is one of the most significant in the history of the State, which after years of inaction I am now bringing forward.

“I am very pleased by the decision of Government to hold this historic Referendum on a Saturday.

“This Referendum proposes a child-centred change to our Constitution and I think it is only right that we are taking a similar, child-centred approach to the holding of a Referendum, by naming a Saturday as polling date.”

// Ends

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[Baron von Biffo]

Why has the government still not released the wording?

[C. Flower]

Ashamed to be dropping this ?


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCTRchP1eAE"]CHERISH ALL CHILDREN OF THE NATION EQUALLY.wmv - YouTube[/ame]

It may not have been honoured, in many cases, but at least it is a Constitutional obligation.

It was brought forward from the Proclamation.

The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.

I always took it to mean "children" as in the sense of everyone born to the Republic.

[Holly]

I suppose a Catholic priest adding his wisdom in this video gave comfort to all those who remain devoted to our Blessed Mother, and St. Patrick, and whathaveyou.

[Baron von Biffo]

Ronan Mullen on News at One now coming out in favour of the wording. MAkes me wonder what's wrong with it.

[Richardbouvet]

My initial imporession is that it is supportable.

I was worried that the amendment would remove the defence of honest mistake in cases of sex with underage girls, but I do not see anything to that effect, so its a probable yes from me.

[Holly]

Routine use of "soft" evidence, i.e. evidence that would not convict a citizen, can be used to deprive a person of a livelihood in this article. No one in the Dáil sees a problem with this. Rumor, innuendo, the say so of a policeman, could all be career-enders. This violates due process and the presumption of innocence.

[Baron von Biffo]

The proposal seem excessively verbose.

Constitutional provisions should be spare and concise to avoid unforeseen complications arising from unnecessary complexity.

[Dr. FIVE]

Kathy Sinnott is agin it

[C. Flower]

Mary Ellen Synon is saying on RTE 1 that the Lisbon Treaty already through the Charter of Human Rights gives full powers in law for children to speak in hearings about themselves etc. etc.

Anyone know if this is true ?

[fluffybiscuits]

Ronan Mullen on News at One now coming out in favour of the wording. MAkes me wonder what's wrong with it.

That is a time to start worrying when Ronan Mullen gives it his blessing! Think its going to be a yes from me but the only issue from what I can see is that there is a period of time where the parents have failed in their obligation to look after the child. No such time is mentioned but it mentions as may be prescribed. Im not too clear on this but should there be an amount of time mentioned? I can see the church himming and hawing over this as they may see it as an erosion of family values but then again a priest never really has a family so what is the man in the pointy hat going to say about it?

[DCon]

RTE planning to play politics with this

john burns ‏@JohnBurnsST

Also on Bizz Post page 1: RTE is to change the rules on giving equal coverage to Yes and No in the children's referendum



9m Tommy Berry Tommy Berry ‏@TomBoy1966

@JohnBurnsST Surely that's not up to RTE. Is it?



2m john burns john burns ‏@JohnBurnsST

@TomBoy1966 That's how it is interpreting the 1995 McKenna judgment. Niamh Connolly predicts the decision is likely "to provoke uproar"

[Baron von Biffo]

RTE planning to play politics with this

Was the 50/50 coverage thing based on a clear instruction from the courts or is it just a media interpretation of McKenna?