Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The importance of children and their education and care in all circumstances, in respect of access to primary and second level education for children with or without disabilities, and with regard to the security of children who might be in the care of the State, has special focus at the present time and is likely to have special focus in the time ahead. This has come into focus in recent times, particularly with regard to children who may have gone missing and who have been missing for a considerable amount of time. We need to put a particular and special emphasis on the way in which this is managed. In another area, where the family law courts are correctly being reviewed and revised, it is important that children's interests are protected in the course of family law. This is not necessarily the same in all cases. There are circumstances where the proceedings are biased against children and biased against their parents. This eventually comes back on the children and puts them in a vulnerable position.

See this speech in context