Children’s rights - Referendum is welcome

As this week’s report on the deaths of nearly 200 children while in, or on the margins of, state care showed we need to improve the protections and security we provide for vulnerable children.

Yesterday’s announcement from Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore that a long-awaited referendum on the rights of children will be held in the autumn is very welcome.

This may, in theory, make provision to confront the dreadful circumstances uncovered earlier this week but without matching resources and energy it will stand for nothing.

That we have to hold a referendum every time we need to change the Constitution seems overly cumbersome and can contribute to brining the political process into disrepute. It may be time to reconsider that logjam.