ISPCC calls for children's referendum

The "shameful procrastination" in holding a children's rights referendum must come to an end, the chief executive of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has said.

Speaking at the society's annual general meeting today Ashley Balbirnie said the failure to hold the referendum on the Constitution was "one of the black spots of 2010" and he urged the Government to stick to their commitment to hold the referendum within their first year in office.

"It may be that 2010 will be remembered as the year that Ireland learned the price of everything, but there is a very strong case to make that in terms of children's services we still know the value of nothing."

If politicians understood the value of the children's rights referendum it would already have been held he said.

"The opportunity and momentum created by the agreed recommendation of a Joint Oireachtas Committee was shamefully wasted and a moment for real change passed."

If the true value of preventative services such as Childline was appreciated it would be attracting significant Government funding instead of "the zero it actually does" Mr Balbirnie said.

Until such services were funded and children were helped and supported in their formative years the State would continue to spend many multiples of their cost on these services in prison, he said.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald told the meeting she understood the criticism of politicians and the political process but said the creation of a full ministry for children should be seen as a "value statement" that there would be increased focus on children's issues.

She asked that the ISPCC give their support and help in relation to insuring that people understood the importance of the referendum.

"There is a certain ambivalence to the concept of children's human rights... I believe bad decision are being taken for the under fives and the over fives because their rights are not understood in this country."

The referendum needed to be passed and must not be "sidelined by arguments which are not relevant" she added.