Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. I am trying to work out the wider departmental position and do not want to engage in a debate about the budget itself. Every time I wish to pose a question I must ask myself whether it should be directed to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and Skills or some other Minister. Children are represented in almost every single Department.

In terms of children's issues, we are seeing things pushed to the limit and we have measurement by failure. Recently I have been made aware of a transport problem at St. Raphael's special school, the removal of the dental service for primary school children in my constituency and the fact that developmental clinics for babies are being seriously cut back, to give but a few examples. During last week's debate about the Department of Health, the filling of vacant positions in areas such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy was raised. There may well be two priorities in that Department but children are the big losers due to the lack of such services.

I am trying to understand whether the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs sits at the Cabinet table as an advocate. Does she analyse what each Department is doing from the point of view of children? Does she examine the failures that occur, such as the curtailing of developmental clinics for babies, which is pretty serious? What approach does the Minister take where she sees such failures, and is there a proactive approach on the delivery side?

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