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

The Minister talks about her role as Minister at the helm of a Department. This Bill is about establishing a new agency; it is neither about the Minister nor the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It deals with the board of the agency preparing its annual report. I presume it will do that independently of the Minister's office. It is important that this is clear to all concerned, that the agency is not restricted, as this particular subsection restricts, in my view, in any understanding of the English language. It is beyond me to understand why it can be interpreted to apply to any Minister because it does not. A very simple change will accommodate what is required. I will not cite all the other Departments whose decision-making needs to be - I do not wish to use the word "confronted" but "consulted" would be fine - consulted with regard to the decisions they take which impact on the lives of children. I refer to the Department of Social Protection as one such Department.

The amendment is fairly straightforward. It is tedious to hear the continual, "That is out and that is out". I have heard all that before.