YES CAMP: Children's rights campaigners have warmly welcomed the referendum result, describing it as an historic day for children.
Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said he was delighted by the outcome.
“We’re not going to wake up tomorrow morning and discover that every child in Ireland is suddenly healthier, happier and safer than they were yesterday. There’s a lot of work to be done. This is the start of the work, this is the first piece of the jigsaw . . . ”
He said it didn’t surprise him in the slightest that people ended up alarmed and confused. “I think there was a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety.”
While welcoming the result, Irish Foster Care Association’s patron, former Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness, said she would feel sorry if people voted no because “they had been made afraid by some rather spurious arguments”
Geoffrey Shannon, the Government rapporteur on child protection, described yesterday as the most significant day in his professional life.
“I will forever remember this day because I think we have now removed those roadblocks that stand in the way of children having the best family life and it’s a real opportunity for a second chance.” The Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan said she was disappointed the turnout hadn’t been higher.