Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will echo what my colleagues have said. It is unusual for three Opposition Deputies to work together and submit amendments. We obviously felt strongly on this issue, given that we submitted three joint amendments. We did so because we believed we would be facilitating, supporting and strengthening the Bill. Ruling them out of order will leave the Bill weak, and the people who will be most affected are the children in the childcare system. I ask that the Minister consider what we have submitted. Deputy Funchion cited one amendment in particular, but what we speak about in our amendments goes to the core of the issue, namely, ensuring that every child has access to a GAL regardless of postcode lotteries or the level of the court system he or she is in. The child might not need a guardian ad litem, but he or she would have had the opportunity to decline one. Another amendment would have protected the guardian ad litemby providing him or her access to legal advice.

That is where we were coming from with our amendments. We believed we were assisting and facilitating the process in a mature fashion, but we were told at 6.30 p.m. yesterday without being given any good reason that they were not being accepted. I look forward to the response.