Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister and wish him well in his new appointment.

On the issue of adoption, it can be difficult to deal with competing rights, but the right of the adopted child to know his or her parents should supersede the right to privacy. While it is a difficult legal issue, I urge the Minister to make progress on it. If it means getting agreement on waiving previous legal commitments, that should be done. It is important to take a proactive approach.

With regard to the detention centre for young offenders, I listened to Mr. John Lonergan during the years and we can all identify the child or young person in our constituencies who will end up in prison. It comes down to early access to education. When former Deputy John O'Donoghue was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, his Department carried out research in conjunction with the USA on the correlation between young offenders in detention centres and dyslexia and learning difficulties. A considerable amount of money was spent on an education centre in Mountjoy Prison which for industrial relations reasons was not used for several years.

I do not know whether it is used now. I urge the Minister to study the best practice in other jurisdictions, particularly in England. There is a detention centre for young offenders in Warrington where the programme is based on building up self esteem, giving young offenders a role in life and putting resources into education. I am familiar with young offenders in my constituency. They spend their time bored, lying on their beds, with nothing to do. In England I met young offenders whose colleagues in other centres were writing to the governor of the Warrington centre asking to be admitted to it. It is worth paying a visit to it. I hope the new centre will get off on the correct footing and that the staff are educated in how to deal with the needs of young people.

I see no mention of the children's hospital, which is a very important issue. I have concerns about it and have tabled a number of questions to the Minister for Health during recent months but have received evasive answers. I understood the cost was estimated at €650 million-----