Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Today marks the first anniversary of the publication of the Ryan commission report into child abuse in which so many tragic incidents were uncovered. The Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, produced a list of 99 recommendations to be implemented in chronological order. Some 12 of those should have been implemented by now, but they have not been. When will the Bill on child care, which has passed through the Seanad, be debated in this House?

In 2008, an all-party committee addressed the matter of soft information in respect of the vetting of personnel who deal with children and recommended unanimously to the Government that a relevant Bill should be introduced by December of that year. We have not seen that Bill, so when is it likely to be produced, have its heads been discussed and will it appear before the House in the near future?

Most importantly, the Government indicated that 270 social workers were to be recruited, but Deputy Shatter has informed me that few if any of them have been appointed. The Taoiseach will announce more than 100 jobs today, but the Government has reneged on its commitment to recruit 270 social workers to work in an area of the greatest sensitivity. When will the Government fulfil its commitment and recruit those 270 social workers to do their essential work?

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, never enters the House unless he is forced to do so by a vote. Yesterday, his spokesman indicated that-----

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