Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 14:

In page 18, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:"(5) The Board shall always include three individuals with experience or knowledge of the legal environment as it pertains to children and families; the disciplines of child protection, psychology, family support and therapeutic services.".

I am particularly anxious, as I have been throughout our consideration of this legislation and for a long time prior to its publication, about some of the services that will transfer from the Department of Health to the Child and Family Agency. I refer, in particular, to the family resource centres. I have expressed my concerns to the Minister on many occasions. I have also met representatives of the Family Resource Centre National Forum, as has the Minister. While the forum is supportive of what is taking place, it also has a number of understandable concerns. It is essential that this legislation which prepares the ground for the new Child and Family Agency provide the assurance family resource centres and others require, particularly in respect of the focus on family and family supports. The composition of the board of the new agency will be crucial in that regard.

I understand the position taken by the Minister in focusing on having expertise on the board, rather than representatives of the various sectors which come within the new agency's remit. I accept also that there is significant experience among those she has already appointed to the board, including the chairperson, Ms Norah Gibbons, whom I hold in high regard.

The purpose of the amendment is to ensure the Minister and her successors will ensure there will be, at all times, at least three members of the board "with experience or knowledge of the legal environment as it pertains to children and families". The family aspect is very important in this regard. The decision to drop the word "Support" from the title of the new agency caused significant and understandable concern. It is very important, therefore, that we affirm by every means available to us that the new agency will honour and stand over the responsibilities that have heretofore resided with the Family Support Agency, in particular, with regard to family resource centres.

I encourage the Minister to accept the amendment. It is all very well for her to take the view that she is doing this with good reason, but she is also setting down a marker for those who will succeed her. We want the same consideration to be shown by her successors. For this reason, I want the disciplines of child protection, psychology, therapeutic services and family support referenced in the legislation and reflected in the composition of the board and the knowledge and experience of those whom the Minister will appoint.

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