Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question in terms of the research and the authors. I know the centre well and I have the highest regard for its work. We are certainly reviewing that piece of research to which I will pay careful attention. The new article within our Constitution was a driving factor for me to ensure that child protection measures, particularly those that are included in the Children First Act 2015, were finalised and implemented, including the outstanding features, to ensure that we have mandatory reporting. The constitutional amendment was critical in motivating us to do that. It is something that is also the case for children who are homeless as well. In terms of my Ministry and working with Tusla, I have tried to find ways to mitigate the impact of homelessness on children in emergency accommodation. I will continue to commit to finding ways to do that as the Government as a whole tries to respond to that crisis.

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