Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I will go into a long tirade. This is about accountability. I thank the Minister for his comments. I will not play politics with this issue. What I want, in the interests of the people, is for the Minister for children to inform this House this evening about the 20 reports. I do not want to know the names or the details but I would like to know when the children involved died, when the Minister was informed by the HSE as to the completion of the report, at what stage it is in the procedures that have to be followed before publication can follow. That is in the interests of everyone. It is not dealing with the detail.

The Minister had the report dealt with by Deputy Shatter yesterday for over a year. The HSE had it for a year and a half. Last year 9,000 children in vulnerable situations were not even assessed. The uncle of the young girl who died tragically, who was the subject of the report made public yesterday, called for its publication in January 2009.

"Are being dealt with" could mean five, ten or 15 years. In the interests of the children of the nation whom we are supposed to cherish equally, I want the Minister to come to the House to outline cases Nos. 1 to 20, not the details of the people involved but when the child died, when the Minister was informed by the HSE that the report was completed and at what stage he is in the procedures in each of the cases from Nos. 1 to 20 so that we get at least some fix on putting in place structures and procedures. Child care professionals need to know as well what has happened and what is being done. This is a case of the accountability of the Minister with responsibility for children, not the HSE or anyone else. This is a case of ministerial accountability to the people. This is the people's forum.

I suggest respectfully that the Minister for Transport consult with the Minister of State with responsibility for children in order to allow an hour of the House's time this evening, perhaps from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., so that the latter can outline cases one to 20, indicate when he was informed of them, how long the report has been in his possession and what stage we are at in the procedure before publication can be achieved.

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