Referendum on “Children's Rights”: Shifting Balance from Rights of Family to...
8th Mar 10
Maria Mhic Meanmain of Parents for Children, writing in The Irish Times, noted she “was glad to see that The Irish Times has called for a debate on the proposed referendum on children, given that the committee proposing these changes ignored the views of parents when bringing forward this proposal.
There are several important sections of this proposal that require debate; where parents need to take centre stage. These include the questions:
1. Why has the term “exceptional cases” been removed, if not to make it easier for the State to seize children?
2. Why does the State want this expanded power, considering the dreadful record it has in caring for children taken from families, as we’ve seen from the Ryan report and elsewhere?
3. Why are...
Families Matter: New ESRI Report Reveals Problems in Irish Family Life
4th Mar 10
Families Matter: New ESRI Report Reveals Problems in Irish Family Life
Marriage in Ireland has declined steeply since the 1980s, a new report has confirmed. Family Figures: Family Dynamics and Family Types in Ireland 1986-2006, published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), reports that the number of people in non-traditional family forms, especially...
“Children’s Rights” Amendment Might Be Anti-Parent, Anti-Child
1st Mar 10
“Children’s Rights” Amendment Might Be Anti-Parent, Anti-Child
The wording of a proposed “children’s rights” amendment to the Irish Constitution came to light last week. But as David Quinn reports in The Irish Catholic newspaper, it would vastly increase the State’s powers,...