Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

----- to the taking of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill Order for Report, Report and Final Stages. Many issues have shown major turnarounds on the part of this Government in the short time since it took office and today we have yet another example. On 18 January, the Tánaiste and colleagues from his party and the Fine Gael Party went through the division in this House in support of a key amendment to this legislation in respect of after care for children in State care. Against the backdrop of what we addressed yesterday with the publication of the Cloyne report, there can be no washing or wringing of one's hands in respect of State responsibility yet the amendment placed before the House, which was similar to the wording of amendments tabled by me and Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, was proposed by Deputy Charles Flanagan and voted on in this House. The first person recorded supporting it is the Ceann Comhairle yet this morning the same amendment, five months later, has been refused. This is an amendment the House voted on last January and it has now been refused on the basis that it involves a potential charge on the Exchequer. That was not the ruling when this legislation was addressed in the Chamber in January-----

See this speech in context