Ireland is about to hold a referendum on childrens' rights.
It seems to have a lower profile in Cork but in Dublin lampposts were festooned with posters and placards featuring the slogan 'Yes for Children'.
Organisations from UNICEF Ireland to the Children's Rights Alliance are campaigning hard for a 'Yes' vote that will amend the country's constitution and give the state more powers to "protect" children.
I'm sure the motives of the 'Yes' campaign are entirely honourable but I do wonder where this is going to lead, especially if you're a parent who smokes.
The definition of child abuse is increasingly woolly these days so it's easy to imagine children's rights being extended to "protect" children from anything that smacks of 'bad' parenting.
I don't know enough about Ireland to know whether granting children specific rights is a necessary step.
What I do know is that the mere mention of children has a devastating impact on rational debate and, apart from one or two letters in the newspapers, anyone intending to vote 'No' must have taken a vow of silence!