Where’s the referendum on children’s rights?

WE are now to have a referendum on the Oireachtas’s right to hold tribunals of enquiry on October 27, not a Children’s referendum against abuse that was eagerly awaited by social workers and child protection groups.

An expensive public consultation took place in relation to the wording and proposal to insert a children’s amendment in the Constitution with all the fandango you could imagine at the time.

With respect, the John Carthy incident and the state’s use of lethal force was disgraceful and gardaí have a lot to answer for, but one can see how political priorities can change overnight in this country.

There should be two questions put before the people, not one. The new referendum will undoubtedly line the pockets of lawyers with all kinds of tribunals to be set up that will run into many billions.

Tribunals in this country are usually very qualified and rarely establish the full truth, just a telephone book of fact-finding and conservative conclusion drawing. While at the same time, they make sure that those who are responsible are confined to a piece of published stationery, and may, or may not, be prosecuted in the future.

So much for the children and the hollow cries of the political establishment that screamed for something to be done when child abuse and neglect claims first came to bear in this country some years ago.

Maurice Fitzgerald

Shanbally

Co Cork