Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is obviously an old habit of which the Deputy is finding it difficult to get rid. From our point of view it is the normal year.

On the question of the children's rights report, I first congratulate the chairperson, Deputy O'Rourke, and the committee on its excellent work, which has been ongoing for some time. This is the third interim report. The committee has spent two years working towards today's report. Obviously, there are complex legal and constitutional issues at the heart of this report. We will give it our attention, seek the Attorney General's views on it and so on but on the day of its publication I want to commend, in the first instance, all the members of the committee whom I know have worked hard not only on this report but on other reports which have suggested a legislative route for other aspects of vindicating children's rights. Progress is being made on all those areas and I commend the committee for that work.

See this speech in context