Sir, – As a primary school teacher, I welcome the referendum on children’s rights (Front page Home News, September 19th). In fact I have campaigned for children’s rights long before now. I approached Brian Cowen regarding his abolition of our indispensable special needs class. I have written to parties in power about the reduction in resources for education. I have dealt with increasing class sizes so as to give individual students in my care the best education I can provide. Along with my colleagues, I endeavour to cater for the many special needs children who are inadequately provided for by our education system.
For these reasons, I feel that the Government patting itself on the back over leaving behind a “legacy of failure” is inappropriate. Children growing up in 2012 are still failed by our Government. While the recession will pass, these children will never get a second bite of the cherry. They will never get a second chance to be in a small class, where children with special needs have access to the resource hours and support that they should be entitled to.
Éamon Gilmore has said that from now on the concerns of children will not be written out of history. Does this not include their right to a satisfactory education? I propose that the children’s education rights be recognised as an integral part of their welfare rights.
I would suggest that the Government might hold off on the celebrations on this one. History will be the judge. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – With the announcement of the referendum on children’s rights, in one fell swoop, this Government has destroyed the lives of all the children of the nation. Every child was looking forward to a day off school but now the referendum is on a Saturday. Please, will somebody think of the children! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The Catholic Church, enabled by and in collusion with State institutions perpetrated the most hideous crimes against the children of Ireland for decades. The forthcoming referendum is asking the parents of Ireland to give this State more power to remove children from families and place them in State care.
I am a legally separated father of three. My limited experience of Irish family law courts showed an institution which was secretive, sinister and open to all forms of abuse. I felt judges, barristers, solicitors and Government agency employees were acting with impunity, with little to no oversight. We will never know the abuses that are perpetrated against families in these courts due to the in camera nature of the cases. I don’t believe the best interests of children, or anyone for that matter, is served by giving more power to government, its agencies and courts over individuals and families. I will be voting against this referendum. Hard cases make bad law and this legislation is wide open to abuse. I believe parents voting for this referendum are voting against their own interests and rights as parents. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Perhaps the one thing missing from the proposed amendment to the Constitution regarding children’s rights is the right for a child to know who both of his or her parents are? – Is mise,
Sir, – Do we have an estimate of the cost to the taxpayer of the upcoming referendum? If Kathryn Sinnott is to be believed, the Coalition actually is trying to weaken “children’s rights”. They have certainly learned the lesson from their Fianna Fáil masters that confidence tricks work best when played out on a grand scale, out in the open! – Yours, etc,