The proposed referendums on children's rights and the new European treaty are unlikely to be held on the same day next year.
Following the adoption of the draft EU treaty at last week's Brussels summit, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said his preference was to hold both on the same day, next May or June.
However, Minister of State for Children Brendan Smith said yesterday it was unlikely that the wording for a referendum on the rights of children would be agreed in time for a vote before the summer.
Speaking in Kilkenny, Mr Smith said: "We would have a very tight schedule to meet the first half of 2008 in this regard".
He confirmed that an all-party Oireachtas committee of 11 TDs and four senators is being established to draw up the proposed wording for an amendment to the Constitution which was promised in the Programme for Government. An announcement is expected shortly. He hopes all parties will "reach consensus" on the wording.
Mr Smith was attending the first conference of the Children Acts Advisory Board, a new State agency set up to advise the Government on the provision of services to children "at risk".
Catherine Ghent, a solicitor in family law and a speaker at the conference, said it would be "incredibly difficult" to draft the wording for a constitutional amendment but "a referendum is essential to guarantee equality of rights for all children".
Ms Ghent added that because of the special status accorded to the family in the Constitution, children of married parents are "potentially at greater risk" than those of non-married parents. She said the purpose of the referendum would be to allow legislation to be passed enabling the State authorities to intervene in all cases where children were at risk.
But she acknowledged it was important to "reassure people that intervention should only occur in exceptional circumstances".
She said Irish society continues to allow the "abuse and neglect of children" because of "a lack of willingness to investigate and prosecute cases of sexual abuse".
She criticised the "laissez-faire response" by the Health Service Executive and the Garda in certain cases involving girls under the age of 15 becoming pregnant.
Sylda Langford, a senior official at the Office of the Minister for Children, told the conference that over 5,000 Irish children are in the care of the HSE and 101 children aged 10-17 years are in custody.
She said the Government would like to see the establishment of Children's Services Committees in every county to coordinate the provision of services.