Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a mechanism to do that. The reason we can ask HIQA to do the work it is doing in respect of child protection services is that it is already in the HIQA legislation under the Health Act, under which it can get involved in anything to do with Child Care Acts of 1991 and 2001 and in a range of other areas as defined in that Act. Clearly, if there were other areas it was precluded from at present, the mechanism would be to change the Health Act 2007 in which its functions are outlined. We can certainly do that. If that arose with regard to the agency, it would be a question of amending the Health Act. For example, with regard to what was the National Educational Welfare Board, if there was an area which we believed should be examined by HIQA and it had previously been under the remit of that board and was now under the remit of the agency, an amendment to the Health Act would be the way to proceed.

I do not agree with the approach outlined in the amendment so I will not accept it.