Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 60:

In page 49, subsection (1), line 43, after "Children" to insert “or the Health Information and Quality Authority".

This is self-explanatory. As I stated on Second Stage, I have believed for some time that HIQA should be charged with the responsibility for inspecting services within the child and family agency. Currently, it inspects many of the services to be delivered by the agency, such as the family support services for children in care, but it does not inspect work undertaken by the preschool inspectorate, the National Education Welfare Board or psychological services. If we want to ensure the maintenance of high standards across the service and that we can restore confidence in an area where confidence has been eroded over a number of years, having an independent watchdog such as HIQA would instil such confidence and allow for regular scrutiny of standards in the services provided by the agency. I hope the Minister will take that on board.