Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage

6:35 pm

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

I move amendment No. 13:


In page 13, subsection (8), line 12, after "inter-agency" to insert "and intra-agency".
This amendment seeks to insert in section 8(8) the words "and intra-agency". There is a good reason to do this. If the amendment is accepted, the subsection will read:
(8) The Agency shall promote enhanced inter-agency and intra-agency co-operation to ensure that services for children are co-ordinated and provide an integrated response to the needs of children and their families.
I stand open to correction but the new agency will be one of the largest entities in the public service and have of the order of more than 4,000 employees. It will require to follow certain principles in carrying out its functions and meeting its responsibilities. In that context, it should promote enhanced inter-agency and intra-agency co-operation. The purpose of the legislation is to ensure services for children will be co-ordinated and that there will be an integrated response to the needs of children and their families. It is the latter which underlines the need for intra-agency co-operation. I commend the amendment to the Minister in the hope she might agree that it would enhance subsection (8)

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