Madam, - Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) was shocked to read that the chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children is prioritising the European referendum over the children's referendum (The Irish Times, January 14th). Without champions in the Dáil we fear that this essential referendum will never happen.
It is truly disheartening that the very person whom we expect to champion child protection - Mary O'Rourke TD, chair of the joint committee - is leading the Government retreat. - Yours, etc,
FIONA NEARY, Executive Director, RCNI, Galway.