Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

We will note that for the record. These examples show that the Government has repeatedly failed to protect children even to the present. The report recommends that child care rules and regulations should be enforced, with breeches reported and sanctions applied, and that management at all level should be held accountable for the quality of services and care provided.

These areas have not just been ignored but deliberately avoided by the Government and, in particular, the Minister of State, who is under severe stress in coping with his huge workload. Prior to Christmas, he admitted he did not have time to read the Cloyne report. This issue is far bigger than the Taoiseach realises. Instead of holding providers of child care accountable for the quality of services they deliver, the Government accords the welfare and safety of children a lower priority than protecting the reputation of those who fail to implement the guidelines properly. As was evident from the treatment of the Monageer report, the culture of secrecy and cover up is still alive and well. Why else would the recommendations be blacked out? Members on the opposite side of the House are asking the same question.

I have for some time argued that we face a real crisis in child protection and this report shines a bright light on my contention. I ask that the Minister discontinue the rhetoric on the Government's prioritisation of child protection. Is it likely we will see legislation in this House before the summer recess? When will the Children First guidelines be put on a statutory footing? Our schools provide inadequate training on the guidelines, with one or at most two designated liaison persons trained in each school. Without this training, teachers may not recognise the signs of abuse in children. A constitutional amendment on the rights of children is not imminent, even though Deputy Bertie Ahern made a key announcement on this prior to the 2007 general election, no doubt to deflect attention from the Mahon tribunal. This is another example of the lip service and window dressing to which we have grown accustomed.

How can the public have confidence in the Government when the Taoiseach has relegated this important area to an overworked junior Minister? It was decided that the implementation plan would be published at the end of July, when we are on holidays and probably attending the Galway races.