Rights of children vote a 'top priority'

THE CHILDREN’S rights referendum remains a “top priority” despite its absence from the Government’s initial legislative programme, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald has said.

Ms Fitzgerald insisted yesterday it would be wrong to interpret this as a sign that the proposed amendment to bolster children’s rights had fallen down the Coalition’s list of priorities.

“It’s quite normal for referenda not to be included in a legislative programme. [Referendums] arise separately and are added as addenda at the appropriate time.”

On whether the referendum would be held later this year as previously stated, Ms Fitzgerald said no timetable had yet been agreed but the Government favoured holding it “in the near rather than the distant future”.

The Minister said she was examining the wording agreed by an all-party Oireachtas committee last year and would be “linking up” with the Attorney General before bringing the issue before Cabinet.

Asked if she favoured holding the vote on the same day as the presidential election in October, Ms Fitzgerald said this was one option that would be considered.

Jillian van Turnhout of the Children’s Rights Alliance said she was convinced, from having met the Minister recently, that the referendum remained a priority for the Government, but she warned the most important issue was to get the wording right.

Ms Fitzgerald said plans to establish a new executive agency for child protection, outside of the Health Service Executive, were in train. She was speaking at the launch of two new websites for young people with migraine and other headache disorders.

Up to 10 per cent of Irish children suffer migraine before the age of 18, and many remain undiagnosed. The migraineandme.ie (for primary schoolchildren) and migra-zone.ie (for secondary school students) websites were developed by the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI).

They aim to offer an interactive online space for young people with migraine to learn more about the management of their condition.

“Patient information and self-help websites are incredibly important tools not just for patients and their families but for everybody in the community,” the Minister said.

The association’s website, migraine.ie, has also launched a migraine monitor that assists patients managing their own migraines from their mobile.