Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy made a very reasonable point on having a timeline and it is being worked on by the high level group. The legislation to be introduced in January is important and the Office of the Attorney General has been doing a substantial amount of work on it. With more than 100 heads, the legislation is long and there is much detail in it. We will have a timeline. As the Deputy knows, there are short, medium and long-term issues with regard to the services in the agency. I hope the next time I speak in the House early in January that we will be in a position to look at a timeline. Effectively much of the work is being done with the high level group with regard to identifying staff who will come within the agency, informing these staff and dealing with various issues which arise inevitably in the course of such a major transition.

I thank all of the staff who have been involved because I know change can be difficult and it is a major transition to move from working within the HSE to a new child and family support agency. I also thank those involved in the industrial relations because clearly issues arise when one makes the type of changes we are making and undertakes such reform. They have been handled very effectively and diligently by all involved. I take the Deputy's point on the timeline and it will be essential to give clarity to all those to whom I referred.

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