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Your Say

Poll: Should all smacking of children be banned?

The Government announced last December that it is considering an outright ban on parents smacking their children. What do you think?

A RECENT SURVEY found that nearly half of Irish people believe it is acceptable to slap a child under some circumstances.

Today, columnist Kate Katharina Ferguson argues that Ireland must ban all smacking of children.

In December 2011, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald confirmed that the Government is considering an outright ban on parents smacking their children, but currently parents can use a defence of “reasonable chastisement” if any legal issues arrive.

In 2005, the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights ruled that Ireland was breaching its international human rights obligations by failing to ban smacking entirely.

So today, we’re asking what you think of this issue.

Do you think that all smacking of children should be banned?


Poll Results:

No (1834)
I don't know (1501)
Yes (517)

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