Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

In relation to the children's rights referendum, there is growing concern that the Government is endeavouring to unravel the good work done by all parties and voices over a long and protracted period in the committee on children's rights. When one looks at the legislative programme published today one sees the National Vetting Bureau Bill, which is an outworking of the first report of the committee on children's rights. In the summer legislative programme, a promise was given for publication in 2010. The report to which I refer is the first to be produced by the relevant committee and it deals with various issues relating to vetting, soft information, etc. However, there appears to be a further delay on the part of the Department of Health and Children in bringing forward the essential legislation in question. The position is the same with regard to the referendum on children's rights. There have been worrying indicators with regard to these matters in the recent past.

In light of the importance and seriousness of the issue involved, is there nothing that can be done to bring forward the national vetting bureau Bill in order that we might, at the earliest opportunity, give legislative effect to some of the work of the committee? Will the Taoiseach provide a clear undertaking to the House that the referendum on children's rights will take place, if not before the end of this year — that would have been my preference — then during the first Dáil session of 2011? All Departments have been given ample time to consider the ramifications for and impact on their areas of responsibility to which the adoption of the wording that was unanimously agreed by the members of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children would give rise.

It must be borne in mind that during the joint committee's deliberations, each of the political parties undertook to——

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