Labour Bill will enhance rights of children
Issued : Monday 15 March, 2010
Statement by Roisin Shortall TD
Minister of State, Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care
The Bill we are publishing here today will enhance the rights of children and allow Ireland to meet its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
It is important that we, as a country, meet our obligations under international law, but it is of even more importance that we have a legislative framework that recognises the realities of modern life while also protecting and promoting the interests of children.
There is growing recognition that the legislation governing guardianship, which was enacted almost 50 years ago is no longer adequate and that it must be amended to meet the current needs of Irish society.
I welcome the response of the Equality Authority to the Law Reform Commission Consultation Paper on Legal Aspects of Family Relationships which, in regard to guardianship, mirrors many of the proposals contained in the Labour Party Bill.
In its submission, the Equality Authority emphasises the need for 'greater recognition of the diverse situations in which children are being parented in modern Ireland' and says that 'the best interests of children require that greater diversity of parenting arrangements be acknowledged in the framing of family law.......and that laws must place the child at the centre of all matters relating to his or her welfare'.
The Guardianship of Children Bill 2010 seeks to do this by providing that, with a number of exceptions, the parents of a child will both be guardians, irrespective of whether they are married or not.
The Bill also vindicates the right of a child to know who his or her parents are , by providing for mandatory registration of the father's details on the birth certificate.
This Bill would represent major changes to the existing law in what everyone recognises is a complex and sensitive area touching on the rights of the child and its parents. When the Bill comes before the Dail I hope that it will be considered by the government in a constructive and non-partisan way. Certainly the Labour Party will be more than open to considering constructive suggestions as to how it might be improved.
See full text.
