Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of child protection. I realise that we will debate this in the House later and that we will continue to discuss it in the weeks and months ahead. I agree that we must do more to help every child to get the start in life to which the child is entitled. For many children that is very difficult because of the circumstances of their birth or the lack of family support. They just do not get the start in life that they deserve. We have a responsibility to try to make sure they do. It is really sad and tragic that 12 children who were under State care or known to the State were victims of murder. They are individual cases and, in some cases, they are complex, with complicated stories behind that. I know the Deputy is not trying to do this, but I do not believe it is fair to say that Tusla or the State was in some way responsible for that happening. However, we must do everything we can to ensure it does not happen.

The same applies to the very sad number of people in State care who died as a consequence of suicide. Ireland has seen suicide rates fall considerably in recent years. That is, in part, because of the additional investment in mental health, the fact that we have a national suicide prevention strategy that is working well, that we have a national office for suicide prevention and that we have been acting expeditiously in these areas. However, the points raised by the Deputy are valid and I know the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, will want to discuss them further.

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