O'Rourke looking forward to campaign on children's referendum

Former Minister and Longford/Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Mary O'Rourke said this week that she is looking forward to the referendum on children's rights, which is likely to be held in November, and she hopes to be active in the campaign. Ms O'Rourke told the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday) that she had been in ongoing contact with Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald over the summer and the Minister told her that she is reasonably satisfied the wording of the referendum will be line with the wording chosen by the committee chaired by Ms O'Rourke. "She calls them 'The O'Rourke Proposals'. She was a member of that committee, as was Brendan Howlin and Alan Shatter," said Ms O'Rourke. "She's satisfied that many of the parts that we agreed with the committee will be included. I'm hopeful of that and I hope to be active in the campaign." Ms O'Rourke said chairing the committee was her last job in Government. At the beginning she thought she had been given an impossible task in getting all-party agreement on the wording, but they achieved agreement in the end. She added, however, that she hoped there would be enough time for a good campaign. "The Minister and I know that it won't all be happy ever after and there will be a lot of views expressed. She hopes, and I hope too, that people will listen to the voice of reason," said Ms O'Rourke.