Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. She certainly took the constructive criticism very well.

I was most alarmed by the kite that was flown at the weekend in The Sunday Business Post. It has already been mentioned by Deputy Funchion. I welcome the Minister's clarity on that. In particular, I was alarmed that a kite would be flown suggesting that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs would be abolished in a year when we are waiting on a report from the commission on mother and baby homes, which is looking at a period from 1922 to 1998. It is looking at 14 mother and baby homes and four other county homes. We have had five interim reports. I note the disrespect alone in that regard.

We know that the referral rate to Tusla is way down. Given the background of the Charleton report, the HIQA report and the various other reports into Tusla – I mean no disrespect to its staff - it is clear there are gaping holes in the protection of children, yet a kite like that is flown in a Sunday newspaper. The Minister has answered that point.

She also answered the question regarding the delay, which I welcome. I have looked at the minutes concerning the delay in setting up emergency childcare for essential workers. It was first mentioned in a NPHET meeting on 16 March. The matter was also to be placed on the agenda for a meeting on 24 or 26 March but it did not. It came up on 31 March as an ad hocitem. Interestingly, we went from essential "healthcare staff" to essential "workers", a more general term. It seems that a paper was presented on 16 March. It was mentioned ad hocon 31 March and again on 3 April that there was a deliberative paper. I would be interested to hear the Minister's view on whether the paper could be published. I ask that it would be published. It seems that there was a deliberative paper – that is an interesting word – entitled Emergency Childcare Provision for Essential Healthcare Workers. We are back to "healthcare" workers again, yet nothing was done. Then we move forward to 7 April. At this point, the Department of Health refers to two recent reports, one from the ESRI, which is very interesting, on "essential" workers again – a broader term – and the need for emergency childcare. It told us that essential workers constituted 20% of the workforce and 40% of them had children and would need assistance with childcare. However, nothing was done and it is now May. The Minister is now in a position to announce something. I thank her for giving us as many details as she can, but it raises the question as to why this was not done before now. The Minister said she was waiting. The minutes say it was an essential item but it then went into never-never land. The minutes state that the Minister was notified twice. I ask her to respond to that point.

I take the opportunity to raise children with a disability, an issue that has been raised by other colleagues. I do not have the time to read out the letters I received but I will read three of the words used in one letter.

This is a child with autism and very special needs and who is doubly incontinent. He needs and breathes routine, structure and certainty. Who was the voice for that child on the NPHET committee? Who was the voice who made those needs known for that child, one of many at home who are begging us to reopen the schools in some way so they can go forward? They do not want computers or to talk about technology. They want human contact. Who was the voice for that child and those children?

I will stop at that. I was going to raise public provision but the Minister has confirmed that as well. Has that voice been heard at Cabinet?

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