Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies who have contributed to this debate, including Deputies Ó Caoláin, Troy and McConalogue. I am thankful for the support of both Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil on the establishment of the new child and family agency. As I have said from the outset, we are pursuing this legislation because of the commitment in the programme for Government to reform radically how child welfare and protection services are delivered. I do not have to repeat here the very well-publicised reports on the legacy issues that pertain to child protection in Ireland. They have been instrumental in providing the context for the agency's establishment. The reports have catalogued dysfunction, fragmentation and a lack of inter-agency work. Children have suffered, as we have seen from the Ryan report, the child death report and a range of other reports over the years. Everybody in the House would agree that the need for change was undeniable; hence, this Bill.

The Bill, as discussed today and on Committee Stage, is not just about child welfare and protection, important as they may be. We really must examine the way services to children and families are delivered in the future. The reforms in this Bill are designed to enhance child welfare and protection, to support and encourage the effective functioning of families and to provide a significant focus on early intervention. The Bill is about child protection and undoing our legacy, but it is equally about prevention and offering services to families at an early stage. The functions of the new agency reflect the wider emphasis beyond the traditional focus on child welfare and protection.

The Bill, as it stands, is a very strong, clear and direct statement of intent in regard to how the agency will be expected to deliver its important services and to be accountable. Accountability is very clearly spelt out in the Bill.

A key task in drafting the legislation was to ensure that the agency would operate within a strong framework of public accountability. Part 6 of the Bill, providing for a performance framework, an annual performance statement, the giving of directions and the issuing of guidelines by the Minister, will, I hope, herald a new era in effective resource allocation and accountability. The other important features of the legislation relate to the need to create the correct platform for inter-agency work. Time and again, we have seen that we did not have the amount of inter-agency work needed to deliver services effectively. The Bill lays out a very robust process for shared services arrangements and the commissioning of services from a range of providers which, I assure Deputies, will be subject to the provisions laid out in respect of the functions. I include best interests, the views of the child and the delivery of services in an appropriate way.

The Bill gives us a solid platform and sound basis for continuing change in children and family services. Very shortly, once the Bill passes through the Seanad, I hope we can make the establishment of the new agency a reality. I acknowledge that this is a very challenging time for front-line workers. There are many challenges in this area in regard to delivering effective services. We will not change everything overnight but I believe the new agency is an important lever in ensuring children receive the kinds of services they need. This is an exciting time. I thank the Deputies for their support and encouragement on the establishment of the agency. Many of the points made by the Deputies were incorporated into the amendments I introduced on Committee Stage.

Children at risk of abuse or neglect deserve the very best kind of service that we can offer.

The establishment of the child and family agency is a very important and positive step in the right direction and is a real attempt to do just that. I thank the Deputies and the Leas Ceann Comhairle.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I commend the Minister's work and congratulate her on the successful passage of the establishing legislation for the new child and family agency. The Bill has been a long time in gestation and, having gone through this House, it will now go to the Seanad. This is a very important, if not historic - an often abused term - development in the context of the State's role vis-à-vis the care of children and the provision of protection for them in all situations and settings. I hope the agency will represent, as I have said on a number of occasions, a new beginning. It certainly has the potential to be that. The Minister has selected fine people to work at its helm. I wish the new chairperson of the board, Ms Norah Gibbons, and her team in service on that board every success in the years ahead. I also extend, unhesitatingly, my good wishes to the CEO designate, Mr. Gordon Jeyes, and the team who will work with him at the helm of the new agency. I wish them every success with all they have to face. I hope that those who are transferring to the new agency from a variety of different settings will find their future employment personally fulfilling and rewarding because of the very important area that they are entrusted to address, serve and provide for. So much rests on their best performance and their adherence to the highest standards that not only we as political voices but Irish society generally would wish to see in this new beginning. I wish everyone who will work within the new agency every success. I hope they will have a very personally rewarding future because of the very special area in which they will work. I also commend my colleagues on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Chairman, Deputy Jerry Buttimer, on the approach taken to this and related matters in the last number of years.

I wish to appeal to the Minister with regard to a number of outstanding issues of concern in particular areas. The Family Resource Centre National Forum has written to the Minister regarding section 72 of the Bill and the transfer of powers. It is particularly concerned about the provision that relates to the National Education Welfare Board but not to all of the elements that have been, heretofore, under the control and aegis of the Family Support Agency. There are small outstanding areas of uncertainty that will require more than a written response. I have engaged with the Minister and with colleagues in her Department on this matter. Indeed, it is a matter on which we had a fairly feisty exchange during the course of the Committee Stage debate. We took the time to sit down, go through it and arrive at an understanding of the why and the what of her approach. I recommend that the Minister adopt the same accessible approach to those who continue to have concerns and doubts in that regard. To meet and sit down with people is the way to overcome their genuine concerns.

I wish the Minister continued success in her role as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. In the two and a half years she has been in that role, she has proven to be a very effective Minister and a very fine choice for the role that has been entrusted to her by the Taoiseach and her Cabinet colleagues.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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First, I wish to pass on apologies from my colleague and party spokesperson on children and youth affairs, Deputy Troy, who was unable to be here today. I know he has worked very hard on this Bill. I commend the Minister on the hard work she has done in introducing this landmark legislation. I also commend Deputy Ó Caoláin, who has a great command of his brief and is very passionate about this area. He has done immense work in this regard, not only in this Dáil but in previous ones.

The establishment of the new child and family agency is very welcome. Unfortunately, the history of our country is very much blighted by failures to protect children and to provide services to them. A lot of work has been done on this in recent years but sadly, it was too late for many people, some of whom are living today with the scars of not having had the services they needed and deserved when they were children.

It is an exciting time for everybody involved in the new agency. It is also a very challenging time. We all know that the establishment of a new agency is not an answer in itself and we have seen that in the past. There is also a requirement for effective management, sound structures and adequate resources. A lot of work remains to be done in that regard. I wish Ms Norah Gibbons, the chairperson of the new agency, well. She has a great track record in this area and I have no doubt that her commitment will serve the new agency well. The same holds true for Mr. Gordon Jeyes, the chief executive designate, who has put immense work into this. He is highly capable and has a fantastic background in the area. His experience will be needed because a lot of the work remains to be done. I have no doubt that it has been challenging in recent years while this legislation has been in gestation. The fact that the agency is now established on a legislative basis is very welcome. I urge the Minister to ensure that the resources needed are made available. I know she is very aware of the gaps that exist and I hope she will do everything in her power to plug them. I hope this agency will serve the best interests of the children of this country.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of my officials, the child and family services staff, the HSE generally and other Government and NGO partners, who have worked collaboratively to ensure the agency gets off to a good start. I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin, in particular, who has put so much work into the development of the agency. I would also like to thank Deputies McConalogue and Troy.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Child and Family Agency Bill will now be sent to Seanad Éireann.