The Children's Rights Alliance has called for a referendum to have the rights of children enshrined in the Constitution.
While backing calls from the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern for a referendum on statutory rape, Ms Jillian Turnhout, chief executive of the Alliance, said the Government should go further by "enshrining the rights of children in the Constitution".
Ms Jillian Turnhout, ceo of the Children's Rights Alliance
She said the whole issue of children's rights was wider that just the statutory rape laws.
"Why must the country be rocked by yet another huge sexual abuse scandal before the highest levels of Government pay attention to children's needs," she told ireland.com.
"Protecting children isn't a favour to be bestowed when we have the time," she said.
Ms Turnhout added that placing children's rights in the Constitution would "pre-empt other potential disasters".
This week the Children's Rights Alliance is appearing before the United Nations to present a comprehensive report, From Rhetoric to Rights, and to give an overview of the progress made by the Government since 1998 on implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Child protection is one of five key issues that the Children's Rights Alliance will be highlighting in its presentation.
"As a State Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Government has officially acknowledged that children have a right to be protected, a right the Government must uphold. We will be bringing our concerns to the United Nations this week," said Ms Tournhout.