Irish Vote in Children's Referendum

Vatican Radio
November 11, 2012

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2012/11/10/irish_vote_in_children%27s_referendum/en1-637532


(Vatican Radio) Irish voters are being asked to decide on a change in the Constitution which the government says will give stronger rights to children. Those in favour of the amendment say it will strengthen child protection legislation, but some opponents of the measure claim it will hand too much power to Government agencies.

“I suppose the main issues would be, you know, for people who might be a bit sceptical about it, is it needed and would it give the state too much power of intervention in the lives of families… The proponents of it say it’s necessary because the state at the moment can’t offer sufficient protection to children who are in very bad situations”, says David Quinn, from the Dublin based Iona Institute for Religion and the Family.

Polls opened at 9am local time Saturday morning despite a last-minute challenge from the Irish Supreme Court.

The five-judge court ruled that the government's information booklet urging a "yes'' vote, mailed to every household in this country of 4.6 million, was not fully accurate and violated referendum laws.

Ireland's 1937 constitution can be amended only through national referendums. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with David