Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister is aware, the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs carried out a scope of works in respect of foster care services. One of the recommendations made by the committee was that the powers afforded to HIQA be extended to include powers of enforcement. Earlier today representatives of HIQA were before the committee to discuss the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. While HIQA has a monitoring role, it needs to have an implementation role. There is no point in producing reports unless it has good oversight, implementation and enforcement powers. I would welcome the Minister's commentary in that regard.

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