Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I congratulate Deputy Fitzgerald on her appointment as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Knowing her as I do, I know how well suited she is to her brief, how seriously she will take her responsibility and how committed she is to the issues surrounding children's rights, child protection and supporting families. Deputy Buttimer went some way towards outlining the Minister's record on these issues when she was a Senator and member of the all-party Oireachtas committee.

I wish Deputy McConalogue well in his role as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on children. While we may not agree with the Bill he has introduced, we believe it is important that Private Members' time is being used to highlight issues concerning children and the new Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I very much welcome that. While I do not agree with the approach of Fianna Fáil on this matter, it has provided us with an opportunity to highlight the need for a comprehensive children's rights referendum and to give attention to the issue of adoption.

The creation of a full Cabinet Department for Children and Youth Affairs is a very welcome development. It gives crucial political recognition and clout to issues such as the one before the House this evening. Already we are beginning to see the benefits of this new political clout in the area of adoption. I warmly welcome the fact that within the first 100 days of taking office the Government, through the Minister instructed the Adoption Authority to visit Vietnam in an effort to progress the huge body of work that needs to be done to begin the process of Irish people being able to adopt from Vietnam once again. Commentary by the media on the Government's first 100 days will be dominated by issues such as banking and the economy, as this is to be expected, this is real societal progress and I commend the Minister and the Department on it.

The issue of children's rights and child protection has rightly been prominent in Irish political and societal discourse in recent years. In fact at times, the only other issue to rival it in terms of media coverage and political debate has been the economic crisis. After the publication of report upon report documenting - at times very frank, graphic and upsetting in nature - the appalling failures of the country, at all levels from the top to the ground, to protect and cherish our children, the time for constructive and comprehensive action to place the protection of children at the centre of our Constitution once and for all is long overdue.

In this sense, I genuinely welcome the opportunity afforded by the debate tonight, which allows us as national legislators, to put on the record of the House our commitment not just to respond to absolute failures and neglect with empty rhetoric or phrases but rather our desire to work together on a cross-party basis to action real and meaningful change in how children are treated and respected in 21st century Ireland.

There are a number of problems and limitations with the specific Bill before the House tonight and many of these were outlined yesterday by the Minister and Deputy Ó Caoláin of Sinn Féin. I will not repeat these points other than to make two brief comments. Cross-party consensus when it comes to any referendum to improve the standing of children in our constitution is essential. The previous Government's attempt to deviate away from agreed cross-party wording which took a long time to achieve and move to a more narrow version was foolish. I am pleased the Minister confirmed yesterday that the new Government will respect the work done by the cross-party committee and base the wording of a referendum on its agreed conclusion. It is ironic and disappointing to hear Fianna Fáil criticise the new Government for any delay in the introduction of this referendum. It was in fact its attempts in Government to move away from the cross-party wording that added to delays that brought us to today.

We cannot support a Bill which cherry-picks a very narrow part of the overall children's rights agenda. Quite aside from the isolationist approach to dealing with complex issues, it could also lead to a significant delay in the presentation of an over-arching referendum on children's rights. I welcome the fact that the Government amendment does not dismiss the contents of the Bill out of hand but instead attempts to include it in the much bigger project of a children's rights referendum.

While the Government takes the necessary time to ensure a comprehensive and well-thought out referendum can be put to the people, no time can be wasted, and I know the Minister will not do so. It is important that a more specific timeframe for the referendum is provided at the earliest possible opportunity.

I am not interested in political point scoring on this issue and I do not care what party suggested it, when it was suggested or why but I agree with previous speakers on this side of the House that it would not be appropriate to hold this important referendum on the same day as a presidential election which will engage in party and personality politics. This issue is far above any office in the country.

I ask the Minister when considering the issue of adoption to take on board the comments made in the House by Deputy Mattie McGrath last night on foster care. I specifically ask that she conduct an urgent review of the supports in terms of after-care being provided to people upon reaching the age of 18 in foster care and to their foster parents. This is a very important issue which is not being adequately addressed. I hope the new Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will use her new political clout and Department to progress this issue.

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