Public meeting in Cavan on Children's Referendum

By Sean McMahon Fianna Fáil is to hold a public meeting in Cavan this week on the upcoming Children's Referendum. The party's Spokesperson on Children Robert Troy will join local TD Brendan Smith and Senator Diarmuid Wilson for the event, which begins at 8.30 in the Farnham Arms Hote on Wednesday, October 31. Speaking ahead of the meeting Deputy Smith said, "This referendum is an important step towards improving children's rights and enhancing our child protection system. I know from speaking to people that there is still a lot of confusion about what exactly involved in the referendum and I want to give people a chance to have those questions answered. "Anyone who has questions or concerns or who wants to voice their opinion about the upcoming referendum is very welcome to come along to the meeting. It's important that we clear up any confusion about the issues involved in this vote so that people can make an informed decision on November 10," said Deputy Smith. The Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Children Robert Troy said, "While this referendum is an important step, constitutional and legislative change alone will not guarantee the welfare and protection of children. That is why Fianna Fáil will continue to push for the appropriate staffing and resources for child protection. We believe that the proposed change being put to the people on November 10th must be matched with a commitment for additional funding to ensure services are delivered to a high standard and children are protected. "The proposed Constitutional change provides for the adoption of children who have been failed or abandoned by their natural parents. It also provides for the voluntary placement of children for adoption regardless of their parents' marital status. This is about giving many children a second chance in life. "The most important aspect of the referendum will relate to its eventual implementation, beyond polling day on November 10th and we will be working will all parties to ensure every child in the State will have rights enshrined in our Constitution and the best possible start in life," said Deputy Troy.