Corcoran Kennedy appointed regional director for FG Children’s Referendum campaign

Fine Gael Laois/Offaly TD, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has been appointed the regional director for South Leinster for Fine Gael’s Children’s Referendum campaign. Preparation is well underway for a comprehensive information campaign to be held ahead of polling day on Saturday, November 10th.

“The Irish people will be given a very important opportunity on Saturday, November 10th to place children at the heart of our Constitution. By voting Yes to the Referendum, you will be helping to ensure that children are protected from harm. The fundamental aims of this Constitutional amendment are to protect children from abuse and neglect, recognise children in their own right and ensure all children are treated equally in adoption, regardless of the marital status of their parents.

“A Yes vote won’t have a practical impact affect the vast majority of children in Ireland who live in safe and loving homes. But it will directly impact on the small minority of vulnerable children who aren’t getting the care they need. Voting Yes will mean family support services can intervene in child welfare concerns and give parents the support they need at an early stage. In this way, serious problems can be prevented from arising, and children can be kept in the home and out of care.

“A Yes vote will also remove the inequalities that exist in our law in relation to adoption. Currently, children can be treated differently if their parents are married. For example, if a child has been abandoned and their natural parents want to give the child up for adoption, they can’t do so if they were ever married. We don’t think this is fair, and we want to give every child the same chance to live in a happy home. It will also give children who are stuck in long term foster care a much better chance of being adopted.

“The need to recognise children in their own right within our Constitution was first called for almost 20 years ago by Judge Catherine McGuinness in her 1993 report on the Kilkenny Incest Case. Since then, 17 major reports have detailed gross child protection failings. We can’t fix what went wrong in the past, but we can make sure better provisions are in place so the same mistakes aren’t made again.

“The Children’s Referendum is one part of the jigsaw on child protection. It will complement the range of other measures being pursued by the Government, including putting the Children First guidelines on a statutory footing, introducing legislation on withholding information on children who have been abused and improving our vetting system for those who work with children.

“This Referendum will not change the fact that parents are the most important carers in a child’s life. But when a child is being abused, or neglected, we need to make sure they will be protected. This Referendum will ensure children are given special protection, while also ensuring their best interests are at the centre of every decision taken about their welfare.”