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

Yes, the emergency regulations. I intend to sign regulations for emergency foster care effectively to establish a unique panel to fast-track that if we need it. We do not know that we need it yet but if there are additional children who need foster care parents it is to try to get them to those as soon as possible. To ensure that the regulations have the best possible protections, I invited the special rapporteur on child protection and the Ombudsman for Children Ombudsman to look at what we have done. This has now happened. They have added a few more suggestions. We are amending the regulations and I will be signing them as soon as I can in order to implement that.

I read in the newspapers about documents relating to plotting the demise of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs but I also note that it is the sixth largest spending Department with a budget of €1.6 billion. That has increased over the past number of years thanks to good negotiation on behalf of the great team I work with. I have also heard that 60 NGOs have come out, at least under the leadership of the Children's Rights Alliance, and made the points made by Deputy Funchion. Not unlike other times throughout the past four years, I am in agreement with the Deputy.

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