Bill to allow child victims to be named passes all stages of Dáil

Helen McEntee says the restricted sittings of the Dáil and Seanad due to Covid have led to unfortunate delays.

A bill to allow murdered children to be named once again has passed all stages in the Dáil.

The amendments to the Children's Act will now be sent to the Seanad for approval with the hope that they will be enacted by the end of this month.

Last October, the Court of Appeal ruled that section 252 of the Children's Act, which protects child victims of crime from being identified, should also apply when the child is deceased.

So a child's name currently cannot be reported if someone is charged with their murder.

It also means grieving parents cannot speak publicly about their child in cases where they have been unlawfully killed.

Amendments to address this passed all stages in the Seanad last month and its principles will be debated in the Dáil today.

Fianna Fáil's Justice spokesperson Jim O'Callaghan says it's clear changes are required.

"It has created a great unfairness because it is depriving families of children who have been killed the ability to name their child when the case is going on before the courts," said Mr O'Callaghan.

"The purpose of this legislation is to try to change that so it won't apply to children who have been unlawfully killed and that they will be able to be named in the future."

The Justice Minister expects changes to the act to be enacted before the end of April at the latest.

Helen McEntee says the restricted sittings of the Dáil and Seanad due to Covid have led to unfortunate delays.

She said the intention of the bill today is to restore the position that was held prior to the ruling in October to make sure that, in particular, parents of deceased children can name and remember their children in the way they want to.

"I sincerely hope that in the coming weeks once this is fully enacted that that will be restored and that we will have dealt with an issue that arose and has caused significant hurt and pain to many people," said Ms McEntee.