Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nobody is more devastated to see the numbers than I am, given my commitment to trying to address this issue, but we need to ensure we are not just responding but also putting in place structures to deal with this in the longer term. This is where the agency will be vital. We are going to replicate existing structures, working with the agency. We have a committee chaired by the Taoiseach, and I, as Minister, working with all my colleagues across the various Departments, will respond to and feed into the work. The agency will monitor the work done, so there will be a direct link. The work of implementing the zero-tolerance strategy, which has an initial lifespan of five years but which we can build on, as we have done with the other strategies, feeds directly into the work of the Government and is overseen by the Department of the Taoiseach. Therefore, there is a considerable amount of oversight. It is important that all the work done, be it through engaging with the NGOs or through pre-legislative scrutiny by the justice committee, be taken into account. That is what is happening now with the development of the legislation. It is absolutely a priority for me to establish the agency early next year with the support of all the organisations the Deputy mentioned and working very closely with them.

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