Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I refer to two issues. In an effort to be constructive on the matter just discussed, are the Taoiseach and the Government willing to work constructively with all parties in this House, within the terms of the Abbeylara judgment and in advance of what may or may not be an constitutional referendum, to enable Houses of the Oireachtas committees to do as much as they possibly can within the law and the Constitution in terms of investigative procedures? I was on the committee regarding the Judge Curtin case, which was held behind closed doors. However, there was a mechanism used in that case whereby a legal team asked questions on behalf of the committee and that was effective in allowing certain things to be done that might not otherwise have been done by Members putting questions directly. That is just one example. I seek an assurance from the Taoiseach that the Government will work with all parties to extend, in so far as possible, the ability of Oireachtas committees to probe into matters of public importance. There are very significant matters of public importance that must be probed by this House if we are to do our duty as Members.

I refer to Article 41.2 of the Constitution and the proposed amendment on parents in the home. I was a member of the Joint Committee on the Constitution in the previous Dáil that made that recommendation and a further series of recommendations in respect of the family, not all of which require constitutional change. Will the Taoiseach indicate if the Government will re-examine those recommendations? I realise he is waiting for a third report on family law and so on but certain children are at risk of sexual abuse, including the children referred to in the vetting legislation. I urge that issue be moved forward as quickly as possible.

There are other categories of children to be considered, such as children in foster care or whose parents do not live together and who have great difficulty getting access to their fathers. For specific groups of children there are a number of areas that can be advanced without a constitutional referendum. Will the Government commit to whatever actions should be taken in these areas? I refer to soft information and vetting, a matter that has been around for ten or more years and that has moved from one Department to another. Will legislation be brought forward in this area as a matter of urgency?

See this speech in context