Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our last panellists this morning. It has been a very busy morning in which we have addressed many issues. I thank the Children's Rights Alliance for its presentation. I am sorry I missed the beginning of it but I am familiar with it. I refer to the child and family agency Bill, Committee Stage of which we will address shortly. I believe we have a fine Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the establishment of the new Department was arguably one of the best decisions of the new Government since 2011, although the legislative programme is progressing a little slower than we would have wished. Following the successful passage of the referendum on children's rights, there is a programme of work which I am very happy to support. My concern, reflected by Ms Ward, relates to resourcing. I refer to the transition from the family support agency within the Health Service Executive to the transition period and on to the child and family agency, which hopefully will be in situ at the earliest point in 2014. We had hoped it would have been in place by 2013.

If it gets off to a bad start in terms of resourcing it will be such a disappointment having regard to all of the hope and expectation surrounding it in terms of what could be realised from it. I strongly endorse Ms Ward's point about resourcing. It is not enough to have the right policy, we must also have the commitment. The Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, cannot be burdened with the responsibility alone of ensuring there is adequate resourcing. I make that appeal and urge all voices, irrespective of their political disposition, to do so. This is a Cabinet responsibility. The issue of children transcends several Departments and we need joined-up thinking in relation to children especially, as never before. We must recognise that the needs of children incorporate education, health, social protection - I could go on. Those respective Departments all have a shared role in this respect. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, in his role and responsibility, must ensure that there is adequate resourcing.

We are considering the introduction of new legislation on the registration of child care facilities, including after-school care. This is something we will be addressing. The Minister has only just got it across the line in terms of agreement on it at Cabinet. It is important that resourcing would be an integral part of it but I would welcome the registration process. I am not sure if the Children's Rights Alliance commented on this in the document before me. Agreements on it with Cabinet got across the line yesterday morning and I would like to hear what the representative of the Children's Rights Alliance might have to add about it.

I wish to deal with a further matter covered in Mr. James Doorley's submission on child benefit. As a working Deputy on the ground, I know from dealing with cases, as I have in several of the instances that have presented, and this is not anecdotal, that decisions were made to significantly reduce child benefit over a number of years. Mr. Doorley has starkly presented the figures on a compendium over 2011 to 2013 showing the impact on families with three or more children being that of a cut of €100. That is a significant sum of money that has had a negative impact on families with the burden of responsibility most often falling on the shoulders of the mother. I am eating into the Fianna Fáil time now.