Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Sandra McLellan also raised the issue of the budget reductions. I hope I have made it clear that there is a budget. There are clear challenges not least of which are the cost of legal services and the adversarial nature of child care proceedings in court. Generally, there is significant legal representation. We will bring forward the guardian ad litemreform which will help in dealing with legal costs. Mr. Gordon Jeyes has taken more control of the legal budget within the Child and Family Agency to ensure costs are contained as much as possible. The move to a family court will really make a difference in the approach to child care cases. That is part of the reforming plan of the Minister for Justice and Equality.
I think I have covered the main points raised.