A SET of four basic principles relating to the rights of children who are separated from one or both parents have been published by Treoir. Formerly known as the Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children, Treoir announced the principles at a press conference in the Eastern Health Board headquarters in Dublin yesterday.
Ms Margot Doherty said that the organisation hoped the principles would influence any new legislation which might affect children who are separated from one or both parents.
The principles are:
(1) "Children have the right to appropriate and accurate information, relevant to their age and state of development, as to the identity of their biological parents";
(2) "Children have the right to ongoing contact with their biological families and other significant carers where this possibility exists";
(3) "Children have the right to have the names of both parents entered on the Register of Births";
(4) "Children have the right to essential medical history and information."
The principles, which are in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Ireland in 1992, have been unanimously agreed by member-agencies of Treoir. These boards and maternity hospitals, adoption agencies and all relevant statutory and voluntary agencies.
Ms Gemma Rowley, chairwoman of Treoir, said that aspects of family life which were taken for granted in two-parent families could be overlooked in the case of the increasing number of children who were growing up separated from one or both parents. Such children had a need for information about their parents. They also had a need to know their identity, to have a sense of their history, and they had a need for contact, however slight, with both biological families.
Ms Margaret Dromey said Treoir hoped that the principles would influence the composition of a new Children's Bill.
