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Bunreacht na hÉireann• In order to complete Cárta Oibre 3F, it is be very important to explain the term ‘Constitution’to the children and to give them some background on Bunreacht na hÉireann. For example:The Irish Constitution was enacted in 1937. It is the fundamental legal documentthat sets out how Ireland should be governed. Every part of the Constitution isset out in both the Irish and English language. The Irish language title for theConstitution is 'Bunreacht na hEireann', which means, 'Basic Law of Ireland'. Avery important function of the Constitution is that it describes the fundamentalrights that every Irish citizen is entitled to.• Having explored the Convention on the Rights of the Child, elicit from the children what rights theywould expect to see enshrined in our Constitution.• Divide the class into groups of four and distribute Cárta Oibre 3F to each group. Allow plenty of timefor feedback on activity and explain to the children that in order to change the Constitution, areferendum must be held.• At this point, tell the children that one fundamental human right is in fact not included in ourConstitution, i.e. the right to housing. Are they surprised by this fact? How does it affect the peopleof Ireland? What difference might it make if it were included?• What could the children themselves do to ensure that the right to housing is enshrined in ourConstitution? Record the children’s responses on the blackboard, e.g. write letters to localGovernment representatives, the President, the Ombudsman for Children, etc.It is important to seek parental consent prior to embarking on the next activity.• Encourage each group to write a letter to relevant Government bodies (Dept. of the Environment,Heritage and Local Government, Dept. of Health and Children), President of Ireland, Local AuthorityHousing Section, etc. and to follow up with a letter to the Ombudsman for Children if they are notsatisfied with the responses they receive.Encourage the children to ask their parents/guardians if there were times when theirhuman rights were abused or when they witnessed other peoples’ human rights beingabused. Encourage the children to record what their parents/guardians say and toask for permission to share their experiences with their classmates. The class couldthen put together a newspaper or ‘radio programme’ based on the evidence theygathered from home.39