Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Shatter, about this issue today. I cannot give the Deputy an indication of precisely when this legislation will come forward but the Minister is actively considering it. That is progress because this issue has been around for many years and has never been dealt with. The Minister, Deputy Shatter will bring forward legislation to deal with it. I am in a position to inform the Deputy that I will introduce regulations so that child care cases can be reported. The shroud of secrecy has not been in the interests of children. It is important to protect the identities of children and the identifying details of cases but there is a way to do so, as Dr. Carol Coulter showed in her research. The Deputy rightly states it is important to make children visible in the courts in the same way as the constitutional referendum should make children visible in the Constitution. Likewise, this issue is relevant with regard to a discussion of court hearings involving children.

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