Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and her officials. I will ask a number of supplementary questions before briefly discussing the forthcoming referendum. I asked a question on extending the remit of the Ombudsman for Children. The report on St. Patrick's Institution is timely. I welcome the statement from the Minister that she is looking favourably at the Ombudsman for Children's request to extend the remit of her office to cover the National Council for Special Education to ensure an appropriate system is in place for dealing with complaints by parents related to special needs assistance. I encourage the Minister's work in this area.

On the Ryan report implementation plan and the child death review group implementation plan, while I welcome the Minister's response, the joint committee also has a role in monitoring and tracking progress in this regard. The committee must be a part of the agenda for change and provision made for it to have a role in this matter. I was disappointed we were not recognised in having a role. I will pursue this matter again at a later date.

The reason I asked the Minister a question on safe care for trafficked children into Ireland was that confusion surrounds this issue. I thank her for clarification on whether inspections are undertaken of private foster care agencies. However, on receiving the Minister's reply, I spoke to researchers who stand over their position that the Health Information and Quality Authority informed them that there is some ambiguity on this issue. I hope the Minister's response will clarify this ambiguity and clear up the confusion on this matter of concern.

On child protection standards for children in disability services and direct provision, the Health Information and Quality Authority yesterday launched draft national standards for care centres for children and adults with disabilities. Standards cover all children and we should retain the option of having specific standards for certain categories of children. I am concerned that independent inspections are still not carried out on services for children with disabilities. Once implemented, the new HIQA standards will address the issue of children in disability services. When I have asked in the Seanad and joint committee which standards cover children in direct provision, I have been moved from person to person. In his most recent reply, the Minister for Justice and Equality asked me to raise the matter with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I refer to the national child protection standards. I am confused because the information I have received relates to children in the care of the State or cared for by the State and I have been informed that children in direct provision are not in the care of the State and are not being cared for by the State. The State provides their accommodation, living arrangements and everything else. We are being caught up in legal language. The children in question are not covered and direct provision services are not being inspected by any child protection services. If we do not act on this issue now, in 20 years we will be horrified and shocked to receive a report into current practices in direct provision centres. I will continue to pursue this issue.

I do not propose to repeat the contribution I made in the Seanad on the referendum on children. While I would have preferred the wording of the proposed amendment to have gone further, I share Deputy Ó Caoláin's view that most of the relevant issues can be addressed in legislation. Members will pursue these matters.

I have been unequivocal in my support for the referendum. Voter mobilisation will be a major issue. To go back to the sixth amendment to the Constitution, the vote in favour of the Adoption Act was 99% on a turnout of 28.61%. The referendum was held on the same day as another referendum on the Seanad. I worry that children will be seen and not heard in the referendum campaign. While posters have been put up, we are not seeing or hearing much about the referendum in the media. I have given a number of briefings and attended public meetings as part of the campaign in recent weeks and it is clear there is an appetite to be informed not only about children's rights but also the wording. We need to inform members of the public about the wording.

The Minister is correct that questions are being raised about the lack of trust in the State. This is an issue we must address collectively. I agree that the issue of vaccinations continues to be raised at public meetings. However, the latest issue to be raised is a belief that the referendum is about child benefit. While I am tempted not to seek to disabuse people of that idea because I would want them to vote in favour of child benefit, I will not do so on the basis that our role is to inform people about the purpose of the referendum. The Minister has outlined her reform agenda and we need a strong and significant "Yes" vote to send out a signal that her agenda for change is considered important by the public.

While it is great to have a Minister for Children and Youth Affairs at the Cabinet table, a strong turnout is needed and I will do everything possible to achieve that objective. As I do not have a constituency, I will be pleased to travel to any constituency to inform and brief people if Members so wish. I am an independent voice. Some of the public meetings I have attended have had large audiences, which demonstrates an appetite for information on the referendum. Much more coverage of the issues is required in the media. I note the Referendum Commission appealed to the media yesterday to provide much more information and I hope they will respond.