Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I would like to raise a number of matters. It transpires that the HSE is confused about the request the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Barry Andrews, made of it. We were told it was impossible to find out the number of children who may have died in the care of the State over the past decade but now we have been informed the figure will be available in the next two days. What has happened to ensure this information will be available in the next two days as it should have been in the first place, given the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health and Children, who seems to have washed her hands of this matter entirely, and the Minister of State were unable to confirm the figure?

Second, what progress has been made in regard to having the Attorney General approve the wording agreed by the all-party Oireachtas committee in respect of a referendum on children's rights? Today's Amnesty International report joins in the request that this matter be dealt with as quickly as possible. I respect the fact that we have to get the wording right. What progress has the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, made in giving his proposal to the Attorney General for confirmation to the Government in order that we can have the referendum?

Third, the Government voted down a Fine Gael proposal last December to extend the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General to deal with the audit of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, which was supported by other parties in the House. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is now of the opinion that this should be so. Will that be done by regulation based on what he said yesterday or will it require primary legislation? If so, when will it come before the House?

As Deputy Terence Flanagan has pointed out on a number of occasions in his role as spokesperson on housing, the number of people in mortgage arrears is increasing by 4,000 a month. What is the Government's response in terms of a policy decision to deal with this serious matter for an increasing number of people? The current figure is 36,000 but it may go as high as 300,000.

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