Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 6, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:

4.—Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting subsection (4).

This amendment relates to section 3(4) of the Child Care Act 1991, which deals with the functions of the Health Service Executive, and connects the Child Care Act with the Health Acts. The reason for the amendment is that in the context of the establishment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the transfer of the Child Care Acts to my Department, section 3(4) becomes meaningless. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is not provided for in the Health Acts, and in that regard, the necessary amendment is the deletion of section 3(4). It is my intention to introduce at the earliest possible date legislation to give me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the requisite powers and functions vis-À-vis the HSE to ensure the executive is properly accountable to me with respect to services it provides under the auspices of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

See this speech in context