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

I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly, to his first committee meeting in his current role. I mean no disrespect in expressing disappointment that a new Minister has been appointed to this portfolio only two short months after the appointment of the previous Minister. Given that this is the Minister's first meeting with the joint committee, I had expected him to outline his priorities for the Department for the remainder of the Government's term. I ask him to outline his priorities and brief members on rumours that responsibility for various public health issues will transfer from the Department of Health to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. If these rumours are true, will the Minister specify the issues for which responsibility will transfer to his Department?
Two weeks ago, a reputable newspaper reported that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will not be able to meet its budgetary target this year. What deficit did the agency carry over from the Health Service Executive? If it is unable to meet its budgetary target, what actions will the Minister take to ensure front-line services are not affected by the budget overrun?
I expected the Minister to provide an update on the eight-point plan for early years education. The former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and current Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, initiated the eight-point plan in direct response to a "Prime Time" exposé on child care facilities entitled, "A Breach of Trust". It is disappointing that the Minister did not provide an update on this extremely important issue. What is the position regarding the new regulations? Despite the Oireachtas passing the relevant legislation before Christmas 2013, the regulations are still not in operation. Some areas do not have an inspector and the early years strategy has not been published. This is a fundamentally important document which will set out a road map for the progress of the child care sector in the years ahead. I ask the Minister to update the joint committee on these matters.
I welcome the announcement of funding for 163 not-for-profit services. I understand there are 4,300 child care services in operation. Will the Minister confirm that approximately 30% of these are in the not-for-profit sector?
I welcome the cross-party approach taken by the Minister's predecessor on the issue of mother and baby homes and yesterday's meeting between Opposition spokespersons and the Minister to discuss the issue. If the commission of inquiry is to be successful, it is imperative that it progresses in a non-partisan manner in consultation with the various advocacy groups. We will have an opportunity to discuss this issue further later today.
The Minister's statement did not refer to a number of reports that were published this week. The national review panel on children who died in State care published a series of reports this week. The reports draw the worrying conclusion that a number of problems from the past have not been addressed. I refer specifically to poor inter-agency co-operation, shortcomings in child and adolescent mental health after-care services and the insufficient number of social workers. Given the importance of the review panel's reports, I had expected the Minister to refer to them.
It was intended that the Children First Bill would implement measures to address poor inter-agency co-operation. This legislation was promised as a priority when the Government assumed office three years ago. While Second Stage has been completed, we continue to wait for the Committee Stage to commence. Will the Minister give a commitment to enact this Bill without delay in the new Dáil term? Legislation on after care, on which the joint committee will launch a report later today, is also important and must receive priority in the Department.
This week, details of an audit of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme emerged as a result of a freedom of information request. The audit raises a number of areas of significant concern vis-à-visPobal's dual role as a mentor and guardian of the ECCE scheme. It refers to a conflict of interest and asks whether it was appropriate to have Pobal administer the scheme without placing the contract out to tender. It also raised the issue of value for money in the scheme. I ask the Minister to respond to some of the concerns raised in the audit.
When the House returns from the summer recess in September it will have been almost two years since citizens voted on the referendum on children's rights, which was supported by all political parties.

Due to a political judgment that was made, this result is now the subject of judicial proceedings. Can the Minister give the committee a timeframe for when the judicial proceedings will be concluded? Also, is the legislation to give effect to the referendum ready to be enacted, if and when the judicial proceedings are completed?