Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

That is the reason it is important we raise these matters now.

I want to move on to a current issue. Children with physical and intellectual disabilities are extremely vulnerable. Currently we have no independent inspectorate for institutions with children with intellectual and physical disabilities. Inspections only take place where a child is committed under a court order. We must introduce standards on a legislative basis so that institutions with children with physical and intellectual disabilities will be independently inspected.

National standards were published on 11 May for institutions with adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. However, the standards came with a rider, that it would cost up to €10 million to employ 50 inspectors. I do not want to hear any more of this. The Government must provide the €10 million. We need an inspectorate for both adults and children in these institutions. These people are vulnerable and we must be proactive and do something positive for them in memory of past and current victims. I want a commitment from the Government today that it will put an inspectorate in place for institutions with children with disabilities. There are over 400 of them in full-time care and 500 in part-time care. The Government must also put the resources in place to implement the standards published by HIQA on 11 May 2009 for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Until that is done, I will continue to raise the issue in this Chamber.

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