Govt to seek all-party support for children's referendum
The Government is hoping to get all-party support for its proposed wording to enshrine children's rights in the constitution.
The draft amendment will be published today but it is still not clear whether the referendum will be held on the same day as the forthcoming general election.
For the best part of a year, the debate has raged over how best to make sure that children are adequately protected by the constitution.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he will only go ahead with the referendum if he gets all-party consensus on the wording.
However, he may need more than a few weeks to get that as the opposition will only be seeing the proposed text for the first time today.
There is also a definite desire from children's advocacy groups not to have the children's rights vote on the same day as the general election.
What is clear though is that the wording will introduce a 'zone', below which it will be an automatic criminal offence to have sex with a child.
It will allow for the exchange of information where there is a suspicion of child abuse and it will strengthen children's rights in areas such as adoption.
