The Government is to avoid changing the constitutional definition of the family in the planned referendum on children's rights because of fears it could spark a divisive campaign over parents' rights being undermined.
Instead, the wording for the referendum is likely to include two amendments to the Constitution which would strengthen a child's right to be protected from mistreatment and lower the threshold for State intervention to protect a child from abuse.
The proposed changes are likely to result in an increase in the number of children being placed in State care or transferred to the care of other family members.
Meanwhile Minister for Children Brian Lenihan has confirmed to The Irish Timesthat he will meet Catholic Church representatives in mid-January to discuss a referendum wording.
He said he had already completed preliminary consultations with all the political parties, as well as children's rights groups.
"A very general goodwill has been extended to proposals to have a referendum on strengthening the position of children in the Constitution," he said.