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

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I am glad he clarified that he must still consult a number of members of the Opposition on the mother and baby homes. What is the delay? While I agree with the Minister that we must be sensitive and get this right, we told the people who suffered terribly at the hands of those who ran these institutions many years ago that an independent investigation would be established before the summer recess. We are almost at the Christmas recess and the Minister still has not given a definitive date for the publication of the terms of reference of the investigation. Can he give the committee a commitment that it will be done by Christmas, that it will be an inclusive investigation and that all institutions that were involved in the practices in question will be covered by the investigation?
Regarding guardians ad litem, GALs, the Minister will agree that vetting is an integral part of child protection. There is no comprehensive system regarding the vetting of GALs. On Sunday I heard on an RTE radio show that the Courts Service has reluctantly agreed to vet the GAL system on a temporary basis. The Minister replied to my parliamentary question on how he would rationalise the service. There is still serious spending on this service at a time, confirmed in replies to questions I submitted, when not every child in care has a dedicated social worker. We still have savage expenditure on the GAL system at a time when not every child in care has a care plan. This is morally wrong and the Minister should prioritise bringing about a system that rationalises the service. I ask the Minister to give a definitive timeframe as to when it will be presented to the members of the committee in order that we can have an input into it.
While the Minister got additional funding in this year's budget for Tusla, it comes nowhere near what the CEO of Tusla has requested to run the organisation. Before the budget, he said he needed an additional €45 million just to stand still, not to do anything better. How can the Minister be confident that Tusla will carry out its obligations effectively when the CEO says it will not have enough money to do so?
Cyberbullying is not mentioned in the Minister's script and it falls between two Departments, as the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has a role to play. There was, quite rightly, concern about this area with the news that Ask.fm plans to relocate to Ireland. While I am not saying it is the answer to all ills, I produced a report on foot of the independent rapporteur's report last year which identified a legal vacuum regarding cyberbullying. Nothing has happened since the report was published 12 months ago. The Minister might tell the committee when the 2013 report might be published, considering we are almost into 2015. It is a very serious and real issue with serious consequences for the victims but no consequences for the perpetrators. Unfortunately, teenagers have lost their lives as a result of cyberbullying and the Minister must prioritise it. We must address what an independent expert has identified as a legal vacuum in the legislative process to deal with it.
The early years strategy was announced over two years ago and it was promised that it was coming shortly. The sector has been operating without a strategic plan since 2010. What is the delay? Why can we not have a strategic plan for the sector? We have a fully dedicated Department and there should not be a delay. We all will have read the letter in the newspaper this week about a family in the south of Ireland who are struggling and put to the pin of their collar. I do not believe the Government is prioritising the cost of child care. In the last budget there was no meaningful proposal on how we will deal with the cost of child care. A recent OECD report identified Ireland as the country with the highest child care costs, and nothing is being done to address the issue. When the Donegal county child care committee published a report 12 months ago, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, said she would review the existing schemes administered by her Department in terms of what greater support we can provide. However, we have done nothing about it. It is a priority issue, and I eagerly await the Minister's reply on how he intends to deal with it.