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

I welcome the Minister and her officials. I acknowledge that a number of positive developments have taken place in the Department in the past 12 months. We have finally seen the establishment, on a legal basis, of the Child and Family Agency from 1 January this year. I wish both the board and the staff well in their new roles. It is a reform that was broadly supported by all sides of the House.

I note from the Minister's statement that the deficit is not being carried forward. However, last week at a committee meeting her colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, had a different view regarding the deficit. In response to a question from Senator van Turnhout he indicated that the deficit would have to be partly borne by the Minister's Department. I do not have the exact quote with me but I can forward it to the Minister and perhaps she would confirm the position.

I still have worries about some of the key services which have not come under the remit of the new Child and Family Agency, such as child and adolescent mental health, public health nurses and children of preschool age with disabilities who remain under the remit of the HSE. This is despite the Minister's advisory group recommending that they should come under the remit of the Child and Family Agency. Will the Minister identify when she hopes to bring these much needed and critical services under its remit?

The voluntary sector has received bad press in the last number of weeks, rightly in the case of the Central Remedial Clinic, CRC. However, many voluntary bodies are providing good services for the State, where the State is not doing its duty. Will the Minister identify how many voluntary and not-for-profit organisations will be working directly for the Child and Family Agency? Are we sure that the money allocated by the State to these agencies will go to the services that are required?

It is important we learn from the mistakes identified in the past week.

The business plan for 2014 must be published by 30 January of this year. Will we have an opportunity to debate it? Recruitment of additional staff has been mentioned in the plan. Where will they be deployed? Obviously front-line staff such as social workers should be recruited.

More than 12 months ago I identified and highlighted the need to improve the quality of the free preschool year. Nothing was done until the RTE "Prime Time" exposé highlighted major deficiencies in the preschool year initiative, but I acknowledge that the Minister has made improvements in the area. Earlier the Minister said: "Participating service providers are required to implement Síolta." When will the requirement be implemented? It should only be implemented after the national roll-out of training. It would be unfair for the requirement to be imposed on the services before the national roll-out of training.

With regard to the child care programmes, the Minister has said that additional inspectors have been recruited. Can she confirm that all regions now have a full-time inspector? How many new inspectors does she envisage hiring this year? In the last tranche of advertisements for the positions, recruitment was restricted to public health nurses. Why? We have debated the matter at Question Time in the Dáil and the Minister agreed that the position of inspector should be opened to professionals from the early years sector.

With regard to the national preschool quality standards, is the Minister aware that there is a conflict between regulation and legislation? Is she aware that data protection legislation does not allow training agencies to pass Garda clearance to third parties? The matter is of major concern to service providers. It means that if I worked in the early childhood sector, gained a FETAC level 5 qualification and Garda clearance was sought for me, the Garda clearance could not be passed to the service provider that wishes to give me a job. The provision has caused major havoc. Is the Minister aware of the situation? How will she tackle the problem?

I welcome the Minister's assertion that the national children's detention facility is on target. Last September there was an issue about the lack of places, and the problem persists. I know she was involved in intensive talks with the service providers about the matter and HR issues. Have the issues been resolved?

For the past number of years at budget time the Minister has identified key outputs that she wishes to achieve in the coming years. In 2012 and 2013 one of her key outputs was to develop an early years strategy. I am somewhat surprised she did not mention it in her contribution today. When will the early years strategy be published?

My party agrees and supports her wish to pass legislation in the Dáil. As part of her reform agenda she has mentioned critical legislation such as the Children First Bill. In fact the legislation was one of the first aims she identified when she was appointed Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in March 2011, which is almost three ago. She said that it was an agreed priority that the Children First guidelines would be put on a statutory basis. Children remain in vulnerable situations due to the legislation not being enacted. I am surprised she did not identify it in her contribution today. I would appreciate it if she would identify when she will be in a position to bring the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Two other key pieces of legislation are the adoption Bill and adoption information and tracing Bill. I compliment the Minister and the Government on acting in a compassionate manner prior to Christmas when we dealt with adoption legislation. It was the right thing to do and I advocated the move as far back as August or September of last year.

I understand we must wait until judicial proceedings are finalised following a challenge to the children's rights referendum before the adoption Bill can be dealt with by the Oireachtas. Can the Minister give a timeframe for when this key legislation will come before the Oireachtas? The adoption information and tracing Bill is other key legislation that was promised by the Government and yet remains to be seen.

Prior to Christmas the Government rapporteur, Dr. Shannon, appeared before the committee. On that occasion he highlighted the abuse and misuse of alcohol as being the single most important issue in and contributing factor to the neglect and abuse of children. He called upon the Members of the Oireachtas and the Government to act in a decisive and comprehensive manner to bring about legislation to ban the advertisement of alcohol because he felt the issue was so serious. There are conflicting and opposing opinions in Cabinet on the banning of alcohol advertising. I would welcome the Minister's opinion on the matter. Can she indicate if the ban on alcohol advertising is something-----