SHOULD YOUNG people be able to access treatment for mental health problems without first getting the consent of their parents? And should foster parents have the right to adopt children of married parents when they care for them in long-term placements?
These are two of the questions discussed yesterday by a group of 70 young people at an event aimed at giving them a chance to debate the issues raised by the proposed children’s rights referendum.
Youth Work Ireland and Voices of Youth, the groups that hosted the meeting, said they wanted to get direct input from young people on the referendum, which is expected to be held next year.
“About a year ago the children’s referendum came up in conversation but we didn’t know anything about it,” said Alice Kinsella (18), from Voices of Youth.
“It is young people who will be affected by this so we wanted to help them to know what is happening. Hopefully this event will help us to get answers for them,” she said.
The Government this week announced plans to hold a referendum on children’s rights next year.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said an amendment to the Constitution would enable the State to provide earlier supports to families, even where there was an objection by the parents.
“In this way I hope that the number of children needing to be taken into care will be reduced and that there will be a better outcome overall for families and society,” she said.
Children’s rights groups have raised concerns that the specific protection given to the institutions of family and marriage in the Constitution, without a corresponding specific acknowledgment of children’s rights, can leave children vulnerable in certain situations.
Tanya Wrightson of Voices of Youth said the event was not advocating how young people should vote in the referendum.
“We are trying to make information available to young people to help them understand the issues,” she said.
“Amazingly, while a constitutional amendment on children’s rights has been discussed for 20 years, there has been little work to ensure that young people are informed,” said Michael McLoughlin, director of central services at Youth Work Ireland.
“We’d like to do something about that,” he said.