Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the briefing by the officials, which I attended yesterday. It gave me a better understanding of why this is necessary. Like others, I would prefer more consultation. The officials said they had nothing to do with it but I got the Bill late last Thursday night and amendments had to be in by 10 a.m. on Friday morning. The Minister has been in the House much longer than me so she should know that timeframe leaves very little room. The Bills Office or whatever it is should be changed because that is not an adequate timeframe for anyone to study the Bill and submit amendments.

I echo the comments of Deputy Troy on the promised legislation on the child and family support agency and the Bill to give statutory backing to the Children First guidelines. I am also concerned about resources for the child and family support agency. It was reported this morning that there would be more than 4,000 staff in the agency. I hope we get adequate staff, not the dead wood from the HSE. I am not being disrespectful to any individual in the HSE but we must have consultation and proper examination of this legislation.

I will go back to my hobby horse. It is not a matter about which just I am concerned. The Supreme Court was also concerned. I do not want to attach any personal blame to the Minister, although she must take some of the blame, but it was a Cabinet decision to stonewall the decision of the five Supreme Court judges who were very clear in the judgment that they handed down. They stated they have serious misgivings that the Department stole the money. We voted €3 million in the House to run the referendum and the Minister pilfered, stole and robbed €1.1 million of that money. That is not nice. Reference was made to scaremongering by Deputy Ó Caoláin, and Sinn Féin is well able to scaremonger, has done so for many years and still does in many cases, but people have genuine fears, and we know, from the Dublin north-west report that Deputy Troy mentioned, why they have those fears. I have cases-----

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