Minister: Child welfare proposal complex

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has described as “very complex” a recommendation by the special rapporteur on child protection to seek court intervention in certain child welfare cases.

Ms Fitzgerald indicated some of the issues raised by rapporteur Geoffrey Shannon may be addressed in the upcoming referendum on enshrining children’s rights in the Constitution.

One recommendations in his report would allow people with reasonable grounds for believing a child’s welfare is at risk — in a case where a child is already known to care services — to go to court to seek state intervention.