Wednesday 21 March 2012: For immediate release
 

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ALLIANCE PRESS STATEMENT
By Tanya Ward, Chief Executive
Response to Minister Fitzgerald’s Commitment to 2012 Children’s Rights Referendum

“The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald TD, has today reiterated the Government’s commitment to hold a referendum on children’s rights by the end of 2012.  The Children’s Rights Alliance warmly welcomes the Minister’s comments and will do all it can to support the Government in producing a comprehensive wording and setting a date in 2012 for a referendum on children’s rights.

“We believe 2012 is the year that families will have a chance to put Ireland’s tragic past of institutional abuse against children behind them and to vote YES for children.  Again, with the Vatican Report’s publication yesterday, we are reminded of the urgent need to reform our Constitution and to take an important step on our journey to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child.

“Let us now work together and support Minister Fitzgerald and the Government in producing a comprehensive amendment that will make children visible in the Constitution and make a real difference to their lives.”

Tanya Ward
Chief Executive
__Ends__

For more information, please contact:
Carys Thomas, Communications Director
Children’s Rights Alliance
Tel: (01) 6629400
Mob: 087 7702845
Email: carys@childrensrights.ie

Note to Editors:

• The Alliance has been advocating for constitutional reform for children since its establishment in 1995.
• A press conference was held in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, on 20 March, to mark the publication of the Summary of the Findings of the Apostolic Visitation in Ireland – commonly known as ‘the Vatican Report’. The document can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/GCnOPc