Imelda Henry (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and wish him well in his new portfolio, one of the most important in the Cabinet. A lot of work has been done to date in the Department but there is a lot more to do. The Department’s job is to protect the children of this State. Bearing in mind what happened in the past, we must ensure all these issues are dealt with and do not recur. The Minister’s priority is to protect children in care, an area in which there are still issues. I hope the Children First Bill, scheduled for the autumn, will be delivered on then.