Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-03-Speech-2-170"
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"en.20001003.5.2-170"2
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"Mr President, I want to focus my remarks on the orphanages in Romania. I believe that the Romanian Government has problems in estimating the number of orphans who are presently in the orphanage system in that country. In correspondence received by the European Commission delegation office in Bucharest from the Romanian Government it is estimated that there are between 100 000 and 140 000 orphans in Romania at present. The brutality of the Ceausescu regime ensured that so many children were orphaned in Romania since the late 60s. There are up to 100 000 people employed within the Romanian orphanages themselves. This is a complicating factor when one addresses this issue.
I visited Romania at the end of July to see at first hand the workings of one of the largest orphanages which is in northern Romania. It is clear to me that the institutional, ordered regime which operates in that country results in many long-term health consequences for orphaned children. It was also clear that the staff who work in Romanian orphanages need further child care opportunities. Many of the orphanages in Romania are old, antiquated buildings. New, modern facilities such as those built by the Romanian Challenge Appeal are going to be needed if the quality of life for orphaned children is going to be improved. I visited two of these houses that I can recommend to anyone. I saw at first hand what benefit these homes – and they are homes – are bringing to the orphaned children.
It is imperative that the accession negotiations between Romania and the Union detail exactly what the Romanian Government needs to do to improve the standard and quality of orphanages in that country. It is not sufficient to make commitments. They must act.
I had the opportunity of meeting with non-governmental organisations in Romania which are working with the orphanages. I publicly commend the work of these and, in particular, the Romanian Challenge Appeal based in Birmingham and others from Ireland supported by a number of people including Daniel O'Donnell, the Irish entertainer, who has pledged GBP 1 million and has raised that in Ireland and other parts of the world. It is people like this who have done so much.
We must ensure that Romania is not allowed into the European Union unless it addresses this issue."@en1
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