Minister McEntee welcomes passage through the Seanad of the proposal to amend Section 252 of the Children Act 2001

From Department of Justice 

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the swift passage of the Children (Amendment) Bill 2020 through all stages in the Seanad, allowing it to now progress through the Dáil.

The Minister thanked her colleagues in the Seanad for their very constructive approach to progressing this short but important legislative proposal which, when enacted, will enable grieving parents to speak publicly about their deceased child.

Minister McEntee said:

"This is a really important piece of

legislation and I hope it can be enacted without delay, because we cannot continue to have parents not able to speak their child’s name aloud and remember them in the way that they want to.

"This is about giving power back to those parents to remember their children and secure their children’s legacies.

"I thank Senator McDowell for sponsoring this Bill and I appreciate the cooperation that he and Deputy O’Callaghan showed when engaging on it.

"This very welcome approach, and the co-operation of all senators, has resulted in the Bill passing through all stages in the Seanad in a very short space of time.

"This is a real reflection of the concern that all of us have for parents who have lost their children in the most tragic of circumstances and our recognition of the impact not being able to speak about their children in public is having on their grieving process."

Recognising the urgency of this matter, the Minister went on to say:

"I look forward to constructively engaging with my colleagues in the Dáil and having their support to make sure that this legislation is enacted by the end of the month."

Second Stage of the Bill will be taken in the Dáil in the next two weeks.