Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed with the Minister's reply. I thought he would accept the amendment in the spirit in which it was submitted, that is, to improve the Bill. He talks about the members of many professions being subject to disciplinary action, but that is not something one can say for definite with authority across all professions. He also talks about the withholding of information, but he will be aware that that legislaton only deals with very serious criminal offences. He talks about the National Vetting Bureau. Despite the fact that that legislation was enacted over 18 months ago, it has yet to be commenced. Therefore, I am not confident that these two pieces of legislation will deal with all of the issues with which we want to deal.

The amendment seeks to ensure that in all matters to do with child welfare and protection, if there is serious concern that a child is being abused or neglected, a person would make the necessary report to the Child and Family Agency. Perhaps it might place additional requirements on the services of the Child and Family Agency, but I would much rather see additional requirements being placed on the agency than a scenario, as happened in counties Laois and Offaly, where files would be left to one side. In that instance reports were made but not acted on for a number of years. That is why the Minister had to provide additional support from outside the area. When it comes to child welfare and protection, we cannot be complacent. We must bring forward extremely robust legislation. It was the Minister's Department which proposed to bring forward these sanctions in 2012. I am only following through on what it wished to do three years ago.

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