Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I welcome the announcements she made, in particular, on the adoption (tracing and information) Bill, on which I would certainly agree with her. I understand some of the constitutional issues. As she will be aware, when we were looking at the children referendum Bill, I raised in the Seanad the right to identity and the missed opportunity to look at that issue, but I realised that greater good had to be done in putting forward the referendum. It is an issue on which we should hold public hearings. There is a wide body of opinion. I certainly would welcome that.

I asked about the lodging of the report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and I want to acknowledge that is submitted and thank the Minister. With the backlog with the committee, unfortunately, it will be 2016 - unless there is additional funding to the committee - when Ireland will get a hearing on its work up to 2011. There is a serious issue here about how we scrutinise and look at these issues.

A question I asked, question No. 10, goes fundamentally to some of the points that have been raised about reports that are produced. I noted, in particular, the special rapporteur reports. I agree that we all here want to work in co-operation, in partnership and collaboratively.

To do that, we all need to know what the agenda is. We all want to work together. The special rapporteur reports and many others, including child death reports, contain many recommendations. I do not know whether the Department has agreed to the recommendation in question or fundamentally opposes it. While the report is a special rapporteur's report, it does not have the seal of approval of the Government. Should we be considering a formal response system such that, when reports such as the one in question are produced, we would actually know the opinion of the Minister on the recommendations, how they would be implemented and the timeline? That would help us agree on the priorities, because we realise not everything can be done.

With regard to the special rapporteur's report, Deputy Naughten has a Bill before the Dáil. Many elements of that were in the 2007 special rapporteur's report. I tabled amendments on counselling notes, which arose yesterday at the Rape Crisis Network Ireland function. The principles were in the special rapporteur's report. There is a wealth of information that we are not utilising. An issue arises regarding our finding a way to have an implementation mechanism.

The issue of direct provision, which was in the papers this week, was raised by me in the last quarter. There is a role here for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in respect of the detrimental impact on children. Again, this was raised in the special rapporteur's report. Recently, Senators Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Martin Conway visited Portugal to examine its provision system. Portugal is able to make provision for far less money using an appropriate human rights mechanism. It would be well worth it if the Minister could agree to meet the Seanad cross-party group working on the issue of direct provision. Members told me they visited the centre for unaccompanied minors, which is sponsored by Swatch, the watch company. Private sponsorship was actually found for so ostensibly sensitive an issue as unaccompanied minors. We could look to Portugal, which certainly faces even greater economic challenges than Ireland.

Regarding youth work funding, I am very concerned. The budget is next week so the Minister cannot comment in advance. However, I read the recent National Youth Council of Ireland press release which states that funding to youth work has been cut six times more than general Government funding. I noted only the other day that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, actually recognised the role of youth work in the recent response and actions to address long-term youth unemployment. If I were to be optimistic, I would hope that cuts will not be as deep as might be expected. It is very important that youth work organisations be notified in time to make plans. Perhaps with the earlier budget cycle, we could notify organisations far earlier. I obviously have questions on the comprehensive review of expenditure.

Let me make my final point, on the child and family support agency, culture and work practices. Deputy Troy asked a question about senior management. I would be interested in knowing the response. I am worried about the HIQA report on the high support unit. I saw the announcement of its closure. I have heard that staff actually asked that HIQA go into the high support unit. What prompted HIQA to go in? How will the children and young people who are currently there be housed? At the time of the issuing of the report, there were four children and young people involved. To where will they be referred?

It states in the report that the national director ordered that doors be locked. I would like clarification on this. Did the national director for child and family services order that doors be locked in the unit? For me, this might cut to the core of the very culture and work practices for the new child and family support agency. Issues arise in this regard that we should explore.

I have asked for terms of reference for the board of the agency. I do not believe the Bill is enough. We need to know where responsibility lies for the chief executive, the board and the Minister. It would be better to have terms of reference for the board and the chairman.