Sir, - I would like to respond to the letter published in The Irish Times (October 17th) regarding the protection of children by Nuala Ahern, MEP. All members of the European Parliament have been deeply shocked by the recent tragic events in Belgium, which continue to shock and cause great distress in that country.
My Union for Europe colleague in the European Parliament, Louisa Todini, was the first speaker in the debate in Strasbourg last September which concerned the adoption of a fundamentally important resolution on the protection of children who are victims of violence. My colleague clearly signalled in her speech, before the vote, that she would introduce an oral amendment concerning paedophiles. Oral amendments are permissible at Parliament's discretion.
When the vote was subsequently held in Parliament and as recorded in the official minutes, Mrs Todini, on behalf of the Union for Europe Group, proposed the following as an oral amendment to the text dealing with Europol activities: specialised information, in particularly the creation of specific databases on individuals found guilty of paedophile acts.
In the exceptional circumstances surrounding the awful events of the Dutroux affair, the objection to this oral amendment is hard to fathom.
A number of Green MEPs objected to this oral amendment. It was, therefore, not voted on, pursuant to Parliament's rules. Parliament's resolution, accordingly, does not include an important political statement on the creation of specific databases on individuals found guilty of paedophile acts.
Mrs Ahern will no doubt recall that at the meeting to draft the resolution which was adopted subsequently, the call, for example, on the IGC to incorporate a chapter in the revised Treaty containing laws on the human rights of children was included because of the Union for Europe presence at the meeting. - Yours, etc., European Parliament Office, Jean Monnet Centre, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.