Sir, - During the Strasbourg plenary session in September, the European Parliament unanimously passed a resolution tabled by the political groups on the protection of children. The resolution was primarily tabled by Belgian MEPs and was seconded by myself for the Greens, Mary Banotti for the Christian Democrats, and Niall Andrews for the Union for Europe.
All the political groups in the Parliament were anxious to achieve consensus on this issue, and I myself conducted the negotiations for the resolution on behalf of the Green Group. No other Irish member was present. No amendment on a paedophile register, as later verbally emerged during the vote, was tabled by the UPE.
The resolutions, as finally tabled reflected the current investigation by Europol of its legal basis for any register of paedophilia, and a determination by Parliament to proceed with all speed to protect children. What is possible currently is to set up a register of convicted paedophiles in the member States and to exchange this information through police networks such as Interpol and Europol. To be entered on this register, a conviction for, paedophilia is important as police networks work with facts, and a conviction for such a crime is a fact.
Ms Todini, a member of Niall Andrews's group, the UPE, in her request for an oral amendment dealt in vague phrases. In her verbal contribution she made a reference to the "stain" of, paedophilia. A "stain" of paedophilia cannot have a legal context; it was impossible to know what she meant, and as such her contribution was totally spurious and was vetoed by the Green group on the grounds that it was impossible to clarify at that late stage, while the vote was being taken.
Following the meeting of EU Justice Ministers in September, which issued a statement on child protection very similar to the EP resolution, I would like to ask the Minister for Justice, Nora Owen, to clarify just what steps Ireland and other member states are current taking to protect children now. This matter is of extreme urgency and should not be allowed to drift.
Niall Andrews states that his group sought to make an amendment seeking a register to halt the activities of paedophiles. No such amendment was tabled in writing by the UPE. If this sort of messing is the best they can do, then it is important that people know that there are members of Parliament who actually attend meetings, and who table proper written amendments on such serious issues and do not rely on a manufactured row to give themselves the oxygen of publicity. - Yours, etc.,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.