An appeal for help to end child slavery in countries such as Nicaragua and Sierra Leone was made yesterday by Trócaire at the start of its Lenten campaign.
An estimated 80 million children were trapped in the worst forms of child labour, Trócaire's chairman, Bishop John Kirby, said yesterday as an international instrument to ban the use of child soldiers was coming into force.
Trócaire called on the Government to support a ban on the use of children as soldiers by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child which came into force on Monday.
Ireland signed the Protocol on September 7th, 2000.
Bishop Kirby said: "This Lent we are highlighting the fact that child slavery is a fact of life for millions of youngsters today. We are revealing the plight of children such as the child soldiers in Sierra Leone or the children who scavenge for a living off the dumps of Nicaragua."
These were children who went out to work every day and due to the danger of their work, faced the risk they might not survive to return home at night, he said.
They were denied their basic human rights. "It is an existence affecting 80 million children around the world," he said.
Trócaire also called on the Government to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which would ensure that those who used children in armed conflict could be brought to justice under a fair and independent court of law.
The director of Trócaire, Mr Justin Kilcullen, said: "Trócaire supports organisations in Sierra Leone and Nicaragua which are working to support children who have been forced to work as child soldiers or who live and work on dumps."
More than 300,000 children, some as young as seven, were forced to fight with armies and militia in over 30 countries.
"Trócaire desperately needs the support of the Irish public this Lent if we are to support children wordwide who have been exploited, brutalised and enslaved," Mr Kilcullen said.
The agency has asked people to do six things: to be aware and use Trócaire's materials in the school or parish to learn about the issues; to be generous and deny something on a regular basis and put the proceeds in the Lenten box; to be active and join a Third World or justice group; to campaign for a more vigorous response from the Government to issues of development and justice; to support the Lenten campaign; and to take part in the 24-hour fast.