Tá an-áthas orm seans a fháil le rud éigin a rá i dtaobh an ábhar seo. We are into the last two weeks of the Irish Presidency of the EU and there are many expectations. Like many organisations, I feel we have a once-off opportunity to amend the Maastricht Treaty with regard to the rights of children. There are 120 million children in the EU yet it is difficult to believe that they are excluded from European social policy and many, if not all, the EU programmes which have developed over years.
Will the Minister of State, Deputy Burton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Gay Mitchell, again raise within the Intergovernmental Conference discussions the eight amendments proposed by Focus on Children and the European Children's Network, known as Euronet, who have lobbied the Governments to ensure and clarify the situation with regard to the citizenship right of children?
It is unfortunate that the rights of children have been infringed on many occasions and we know that a unanimous decision was made by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 19 September with regard to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, child prostitution and the increased threat from the use of the internet by paedophile networks.
I know that the Government is considering tabling an amendment to address that matter, and I would welcome that. I believe the Government is looking at age discrimination, and references to paedophilia and abuse being encompassed.
I also hope there will be an overall focus with regard to the rights of children. I know that Minister of State, Deputy Gay Mitchell, said that the legal advice which was given to him at the time indicated that children's rights were, in fact, encompassed in the Treaty, yet I believe he said he would go back to the legal people who were advising the Council of Ministers on the matter and re-examine whether that legal advice would stand up. There is a need for clarification on the matter.
I want to refer to one amendment which has been proposed by Focus on Children and Euronet, the addition of the following new third paragraph to Title II, Part Two Citizenship of the Union, Article 8:3. Children shall enjoy the rights of other citizens of the Union with the exception of those matters excluded to minors by law.
I believe there is general national and Union consensus on the intention to cover children and young people within the EU Treaty but when we go beyond intentions, and people, especially legal people, drag through words, sentences and innuendo, there are concerns that perhaps it would not stand up and that there is no clarity in the Treaty. Therefore, I ask the Minister of State in the last two or three weeks of the Irish Presidency to give leadership to ensure this matter is clarified and amendments tabled to the Maastricht Treaty to ensure what we all want but perhaps have not clarified, that children have the same rights as any other citizen within the EU. I ask the Minister of State to consider that, in particular, because children are the future, not only of this nation but of the EU.
With the awful atrocities which have been perpetrated against children not only in Ireland but in Belgium, in particular, this year, I hope we do not need a crisis to amend the Treaty. I also hope the Minister will ensure that if amendments are needed, which I believe is the case, they will be included and that Ireland will take the leadership role to ensure children's rights are encompassed in one of the most important treaties of the EU.