Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I also take the opportunity to wish the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs well during the summer recess and hope, as Deputy Ó Caoláin stated, that she will hit the ground running in the September term. It is important to point out on this Bill that the parties in government have reneged on the commitment given while in opposition to place the provision of aftercare on a statutory footing. Deputy Ó Caoláin re-tabled Fine Gael's amendment, but the new Government voted it down. It is unfortunate to see such a discrepancy between a party's policy in opposition and in government.

We have had a momentous couple of weeks in this brief, with the publication of the Cloyne report and the various issues arising from it. On the implementation of the report and her plans in respect of mandatory reporting, I urge the Minister to undertake an assessment during the summer period of the resource needed in that regard. That is of critical importance. That has been the flaw in what we have seen in the past week. There will be resource implications and, without the accompanying resources, good intentions may well not be brought into reality.

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